Rescuer

The Rescuer role uses the tool set common to more specific rescue role such as technical rope rescue and swift water rescue.

Key Skills of the Rescuer

• Knots: The ability to tie the appropriate knot while under pressure and adverse conditions in the starting skill set for a rescuer.

• Medical Aid: Providing first aid and emergency medical care to victims. Many rescuers are trained in wilderness medicine, enabling them to stabilize patients until further help arrives.

• Evacuation and Transportation: Safely transporting victims out of the wilderness, often across difficult terrain. This may involve stretchers, improvised carries, or coordination with helicopters or other vehicles.

• Communication: Maintaining contact with base operations, coordinating with other teams, and relaying vital information about progress and needs.

• Safety: Ensuring the safety of themselves, their team, and the victim. Rescuers must continually monitor environmental risks, weather changes, and physical exhaustion.

Essential Skills and Qualities

• Physical Fitness: Rescuers need stamina and strength to traverse rugged terrain and carry equipment or victims.

• Teamwork and Leadership: Effective communication, collaboration, and sometimes leadership under pressure are crucial.

• Problem Solving and Adaptability: The unpredictable nature of wilderness environments demands quick thinking and flexibility.

• Calm Under Pressure: Rescuers must remain composed during emergencies, making clear decisions despite stress or fatigue.

Challenges Faced by Wilderness Rescuers

• Remote and Difficult Terrain: Mountains, forests, deserts, and other wilderness areas present physical and logistical obstacles.

• Unpredictable Weather: Rapid changes in weather can complicate search efforts and threaten safety.

• Limited Resources: Rescuers often work with minimal support, requiring resourcefulness and self-reliance.

• Time Sensitivity: The urgency of locating and assisting victims, especially those with medical needs, adds pressure to every operation.

The rescuer in wilderness search and rescue plays a vital role in saving lives and bringing individuals to safety. Their responsibilities are multifaceted, requiring a blend of technical skills, physical endurance, and emotional resilience. Through careful planning, teamwork, and unwavering commitment, rescuers overcome the challenges of the wilderness to provide hope and help when it is needed most.

Required Knowledge and Skills

Basic Life Support

Topic	Skill	Criteria
Immobilizing Broken Bones	Assess the Situation	Be able to evaluate the subject’s condition and surroundings. Look for signs of life-threatening issues, such as severe bleeding or difficulty breathing. Address these concerns first, if present.
	Stabilize the Subject	Know how to calm the subject and avoid unnecessary movement.
	Apply Immobilization Techniques	Be able to properly use splints, padding and bandages to the fracture site.
	Monitor Circulation	Demonstrate the ability to check for signs of impaired circulation.
Hyperthermia	Preventing Hyperthermia	Describe strategies to reduce the risk of hyperthermia for both rescuers and subjects.
	Treating Hyperthermia	Describe appropriate steps to treat hyperthermia effectively.
Hypothermia	Preventing Hypothermia	Describe strategies to reduce the risk of hypothermia for both rescuers and subjects.
	Treating Hypothermia	Describe appropriate steps to treat hypothermia effectively.
Altitude Related Hazards	Identify Hazards	Show knowledge of and the ability to identify altitude related hazards.
	Mitigation Strategies	Demonstrate strategies for reducing the risk of altitude hazards.

Stretcher Transportation

Topic	Skill	Criteria
Patient Packaging	Assessment	Know how to assess the subject’s condition. Know when to call for medical support.
	Immobilization	Be able to use BLS techniques to immobilize the subject reducing movement to prevent further injury
	Insulation and Protection	Know how to shield the subject from the environment.
	Securing the Patient	Show how to properly secure the patient in the Stokes Basket and Skedco.
	Monitoring	Describe the importance of continually monitoring the subject’s vital signs, mental status, and comfort level.
	Communication	Demonstrate how to maintain clear and consistent communication within the rescue team and with the Command Post.
Stokes Basket	Security	Demonstrate how to secure the subject in the Stokes basket ensuring the subject remains safely attached to rescue equipment minimizing pain and discomfort during transport.
	Transport	Show how to carry the basket cross country over adverse terrain without injury to the subject.
	Use of Wheel	Know how to attach the basket wheel and use it to transport the subject.
	Maintenance and Care	Show how to clean, inspect for damage, and stow the Stokes Basket
Skedco	Security	Demonstrate how to secure the subject in the Skedco ensuring the subject remains safely attached to rescue equipment minimizing pain and discomfort during transport.
	Transport	Show how to carry the Skedco cross country over adverse terrain without injury to the subject.
	Maintenance and Care	Show how to clean, inspect for damage, and stow the Skedco
	Skedco Rigging	Show how to properly attach the Skedco into a rope rescue system

Technical Rope Rescue

Topic	Skill	Criteria
High Strength Tie Off	Build Hitch	Demonstrate the ability to build a tensionless hitch using a minimum of 4 wraps.  Secure working the end of the rope to the standing part using a carabiner or appropriate knot.
	Test and Safety Inspection	Show how to test and safety inspect the hitch.