VOLUNTEER LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES: SEARCH AND RESCUE

VOLUNTEER LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES: SEARCH AND RESCUE HEALTH Magazine, Winter 2025 Published by the Southwest Utah Public Health Foundation This podcast episode is an AI-generated narration of the HEALTH Magazine article. The full article text is provided below as the official transcript of this episode. VOLUNTEER! LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES: Search & Rescue Narrated by David Heaton using AI-assisted voice. Utah search and rescue (SAR) teams embark on hundreds of missions every year. With steadily growing numbers of backcountry hikers, mountain bikers, climbers, and snowmobilers, adventurers occasionally become lost, injured, or trapped. In these situations, volunteer search and rescue teams with special skills can be mobilized to get the job done. Search and rescue scenarios include wilderness areas, mountains, avalanche fields, and bodies of water. SAR teams often rely on volunteers that are trained - or can be trained- in high-angle rope techniques, scuba diving, swift water rescue, K-9 operations, emergency medical services, and other specialties. The goals of SAR missions are to rescue the greatest number of people in the shortest amount of time; get the walking wounded and ambulatory survivors out first; rescue lightly trapped survivors next; and keep the rescuers and survivors safe. Residents interested in joining their local search and rescue team should start by contacting their county sheriff’s office.