Search and Rescue in the Intermountain West States

Abstract

Background Minimal data exist regarding the activity, membership, training, and medical oversight of search and rescue (SAR) teams. Objective Our objective was to describe these characteristics in the Intermountain West SAR organizations. Methods A contact list was generated and electronic surveys were sent to SAR officials in each Intermountain West county. Results were descriptively analyzed. Results Of the contacted jurisdictions, 56% (156) responded to the survey. The annual average call volume was 29 missions (range, 5 to 152). Multiple levels of medical training were represented on SAR teams, ranging from first aid/cardiopulmonary resuscitation providers to the physician level, and 79% of teams provided some medical training to their membership. Of the SAR medical professionals, 23% had formal wilderness medical training. Local emergency medical services provided 60% of the medical care on SAR missions rather than SAR personnel. Formal physician medical oversight was present in 41% of the SAR teams. These physicians participated in a range of SAR activities including medical protocol drafting (including expanded scope of practice), medical trainings, mission participation, medical consultation, and prescribing medications for field use. The majority (69%) of those physicians were trained in emergency medicine, and 45% of the active medical directors had protocols allowing for an expanded scope of practice due to the remote nature of SAR medical care. Conclusions Intermountain West SAR teams vary in their activity, composition, training, and level of medical oversight. This study confirms that opportunities exist for physician integration with SAR teams in the studied states and likely throughout the United States.

Search and Rescue in the Pacific West States

“…The results of our survey among NPS Pacific west region SAR teams were largely consistent with the earlier findings of the intermountain region survey. 4 Although these surveys were not contemporaneous, SAR teams that responded to our survey had slightly higher rates of minimum medical training among volunteers (basic first aid or CPR) compared to responding teams in the intermountain region (89 vs 79%). Our responding teams were more likely to report having members with wilderness medical training, including wilderness first aid, wilderness first responder, or advanced wilderness life support (57 vs 23%).…”

“…The intermountain region survey had a higher response rate at 56%. 4 This is a major limitation that provides significant room for error in our characterizations. The research team was unable to identify specific patterns for nonresponse to our survey, which may represent a flaw in our methods for collecting SAR team leader contact information.…”

“…[1][2][3] The only publication to date primarily evaluating non-NPS SAR organization, training, and mission volume is a regional analysis of the intermountain west SAR services completed in 2013. 4 Our objective was to further characterize the prehospital SAR response system, with an analysis of SAR teams in the contiguous NPS Pacific west region states.…”

Les missions de secours héliportés du Centre Médical des Armées de Solenzara

“…La variété des missions SAR impose un maintien des compétences et des entraînements spécifiques avec les équi-pages [1]. Le délai de décollage moyen de la base aérienne de l'équipe SAR est de 60 minutes en heures non ouvrables et de 15 à 30 minutes en heures ouvrables.…”

Wilderness Emergency Medical Services Medical Director Course: Core Content Developed With Delphi Technique

“…Despite the recognized need for ski patrols and SAR teams to have operational oversight provided by a qualified WEMS medical director, however, 4 there is still a gap in WEMS training. Although there are many available courses teaching WEMS as a practitioner, no courses have been available that teach the skills of WEMS medical direction.…”