RMRG is a fully
accredited Mountain Rescue Association (MRA) team

For rescue assistance, call 911 or Boulder County Sheriff's dispatch
(303) 441-4444

Thanks to our supporters:

Rescue Operations - How does it all Work?

Rescues
If someone is injured in Boulder County, how does RMRG respond? The first step is a phone call to "911" asking for help. The dispatcher answering the call determines the nature of the incident, and requests response from the appropriate agencies. For a mountain rescue emergency, the dispatcher will "page" RMRG, along with other agencies such as the Sheriff's Emergency Services, fire, ambulance, park rangers, and other agencies if appropriate. Our members, who may be out hiking, home eating dinner, or at work, respond to the nearest trailhead. We typically hike in to the location of the injured party. In some circumstances we may use climbing ropes, snowmobiles, trucks, ATV's or even helicopters to reach a patient.

We complete most rescues in less than two hours. Remote locations, steep terrain, and poor whether usually make for longer rescue operations. Upon arrival at the patient we assess medical conditions, provide medical assistance, set up our equipment, and plan the evacuation route. We load the patient in the litter and enclose him or her in a bean bag (full body vacuum splint), which forms to the patient's body, keeps the patient warm, and immobilizes injuries. We then use a litter team, typically six people, to carry the patient safely out, typically to a waiting ambulance.

See also our "Operational Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQ) page for answers to some of the questions that come up about rescue operations.

Searches
If someone is lost, how does RMRG respond? It starts with a call to 911 by a reporting party (RP), which occassionally is the lost person if cell phone coverage is available to them. The 911 dispatcher pages RMRG and other appropriate agencies. RMRG tries to immediately contact the RP by phone to get details on the situation and then, if appropriate, begins a coordinated search to locate the missing party. If the missing party has a car, the first responding units will initially try to locate it. We then send out teams of searchers to find the missing party as quickly as possible. If there is a known "last-seen point" (if, for instance, a child wanders away from a hiking party), searching operations generally begin there. Using topographic maps, the area is sectioned into search areas and teams of searchers are assigned to cover the most likely areas first. As they search, teams report progress, locations and findings by radio to the "operations" unit managing the search.

Our Outdoor Safety section has valuable information about how to prevent getting lost and what to do if you become lost.

This page is superseded

Visit our current web site at

http://RockyMountainRescue.org

Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, Inc.
3720 Walnut St, Boulder, CO 80301, USA