Planning Your Own Rescue
Planning and Preparation- Planning your own Rescue
By Keith Denoncourt
This was part of our Emergency Medical Evacuation team. I was a proud member for several years. Many rescues turned out to be unfortunate great adventures. Often times there were amazing outcomes as the people who needed assistance were well prepared for their emergency. All we did was help get them out.
My very first mountain rescue was over 30 years ago when I was a University student. I was taking a Mountain Orienteering / Wilderness Survival course with the University of Alberta. How cool was this that I get to go camping in the mountains for University credits? The activities we were learning and experiencing were beyond amazing. Everything from Swift Water Canoeing and Kayak Rescue, to Wilderness Survival is something that I will always treasure. For part of our final exam, we had to pre-plan a route in to a designated mountain area, stay there two nights, then be back at base camp absolutely no later than 12:00 noon on the third day. We knew in advance that if we did not meet our rally point, by our designated return time, that our emergency response plan would be immediately activated. All of the teams but one checked in. The Team leaders were gathered. We opened up and followed the missing teams Emergency Response Plan. Emergency Services were activated. We followed their route perfectly. They stayed exactly where they said they were going to be. I will say that leaving tin foil / red ribbon markers in the trees made their retrieval and recovery very easy. They definitely took measures to help us find them. They were not lost. They had a team member not able to walk without severe nausea and disorientation. They were positioned on a steep slope and they did not have the manpower to move him down safely. They stayed together as a small group, and had a small fire as a signal for when we arrived. They counted on us acting on their Emergency Response Plan. As a larger team we built a stretcher and carried him roughly 6 km down the mountain to the waiting ambulance. We found out later that he had a bad reaction to tick bites. That was but the first of many rescues and recoveries that I have been part of. It helped set the foundation of my years of volunteering with the local emergency services.
“Being prepared for the absolute worst and hoping for the best !” will turn a lot of emergencies in to unfortunate wonderful memories. Being a member of the local Fire Dept. for many years, I always valued it when the rescues were made easy. Often this was a direct result of how well the people were prepared.
Leave a detailed plan of your exact activities with a trusted source. Stick to your plan, or leave distinct markers, or electronic advisements, if your plans have been forced to change. Have your plan immediately activated if you do not make your rally point. Help us find you !
To this day, I do not leave the house without telling my wife where I am going and when I will be back. It is not respectful to make your loved ones worry, so I always plan in advance. We have people, and procedures, in place in case I do not make my deadline. I wish that I could say that I have never needed rescue/ recovery, but I have. A few times actually. If you spend any amount of time in the outdoors it is not if the emergency will happen, it is when and how bad will it be ? Only if you are prepared can you make the most of it. Understanding that nothing beats Mother Nature and physical limitations do occur. However sitting around a fire waiting for help to arrive is not the worst in the world. Help us find you by planning your own rescue. Here are the top ten pre-departure checklist that I would like you to follow:
Pre-Departure top 10 checklist
1) Have you told someone where you are going ? Have you explained your exact routes in, and out ? Have you given general concepts as to what areas and activities you may do when you are in this area, and who you are with ?
2) Have you given a departure, and arrival time, back at a secured location with a emergency contact person ? Have you initiated an action plan if you do not meet your deadline ? Are there signals, or signs pre-arranged ? Do you have planned rally points ?
3) Have you left a detailed description of the vehicle you are using or what form of travel you may be using ? Have you included the make, model, color, year, and license number in your descriptions ?
4) Have you planned your own repairs, or breakdowns in your equipment ? Are the necessary tools loaded, secured, and ready for use ? Have you maintained your current equipment to be ready for use, and inspected it for any possible damage ? Do you have back ups and alternatives ? Are there any preventive measures that can be taken ? Have you personally prepared yourself for your adventure ?
5) Have you packed your first-aid and survival gear ? Do you have the ability to drink clean water ? Have you packed extra survival food, bedding, clothing, lighters and matches, and are you, and your group, prepared for the worst possible weather ? Do you have bear deterrents ready for immediate use ?
6) Do you have a radio frequency that you could broadcast on, and is that frequency given to your emergency contact person ? Is your cell phone within range of a transmitter ? Do you have a satellite phone ? Is your map and GPS on and the Tracking activated ? Is it charged ? What are your options if the electronics fail ?
7) Is your essential survival gear 100% waterproofed and ready to use, with the sensitive electronic gear protected ? Do you have extra batteries or charging systems ?
8) Did you pack emergency medications for any medical condition that you, or your team members, may require ? Is it readily available ? Have you been professionally trained in it’s use ?
9) Have you checked and packed all of your camp supplies, and equipment, in secure locations, and are they tied in securely for safe reliable transport ?
10) Have you checked your current weather and long-range forecasts for your area ? Are there any safety hazards for your region ? Are you prepared for the absolute worst weather conditions ?
Signal Fires, and the use of flares, are an excellent method of helping the Search Teams find you.
It is advised to get Global Rescue Travel insurance for all remote travel Adventures.
Only when all of those criteria have been addressed are you prepared for your wilderness adventure. Remember that you will not have time to prepare when an emergency happens. This is your definitive first step. Understanding that there are circumstances and injuries that are definitively life threatening. Precautions and limitations must be put in place. The prevention of injuries, of which excessive cold and heat are part of, must be your top priority. Are you prepared, in redundancies, for the worst possible conditions ? If the answer is yes, then now is the time to enjoy your adventure! Hazards can be addressed and injuries can be prevented ! Enjoy your adventure !
Thank you for reading this article. Always be safe, and sponsor a Non-Profit Conservation Group !
Keith
