2021 Applicant Information Sessions
If you are interested in joining the Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit, the first step is to attend one of our Applicant Information Sessions. This one-hour meeting (held three times per year) will explain what it takes to be a successful volunteer with IMSARU, and will answer any questions you have about the team. Attending an Information Session is required before applying for membership. Membership applications will be available at the end of the session.
The following Applicant Information Sessions are scheduled for 2021:
Thursday, May 20th at 6:30pm
Thursday, September 23rd at 6:30pm
Meeting locations will be updated on this page approximately one month prior to the meeting date.
Latest Posts
At IMSARU we are blessed to have many members who are heroes outside of search and rescue. Among those is Colin Sesek, IMSARU's medical coordinator, who is also a combat medic who has served in Iraq with the 82nd Airborne.
Colin wrote about his experiences and shares them in a new play he co-wrote called Bent Compass. Please click through the story below to learn more.
We're proud of Colin and his service in so many different capacities.
Bent Compass tells the story of a combat medic from Boise
www.kivitv.com
Colin Sesek joined the army as a combat medic straight out of high school, in 2006 he deployed to Iraq with the 82nd Airborne and now there's a play about his experience.That is Sooo cool! Colin, you are awesome!!
On February 13, 2021, members of IMSARU conducted a training exercise above Mores Creek Summit in Boise County. The purpose of the training was to allow members to test building and sleeping in emergency winter shelters as well as to certify newer members to participate in winter mission operations.
Follow along as the team braves the winter weather and has a bit of fun while they were at it!
Thanks for pulling together the video Scotty! Brought back some cold memories!
Great film and posting. Loved the humor. 👍
Earlier today IMSARU President Mike Rowe was interviewed by Wren Nicks as one of the #100days100heroes she's highlighting.
Mike is indeed a true hero with a full lifetime of service, first as a former active duty US Army soldier, 25-year law enforcement officer with the Ada County Sheriffs Office, and currently assisting patients and staff with St. Luke's.
We are grateful to Mike for his service and his leadership, not just to our unit, but to the Idaho community writ large. Thank you, Mike!
This past Friday evening just before midnight IMSARU was called out by the Boise County Sheriff's Office to locate and rescue an overdue skier in the Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area. The unit responded to the resort, and with the help of the Bogus Basin Ski Patrol on snow machines, inserted two search teams in the area near Shafer Butte just after 2:00AM.
From two different insertion points, the teams descended through powder that was approaching waist high until both teams were able to make distant verbal contact with the subject across the canyon. The teams relayed their positions and the bearing to the subject back to the IMSARU base where the subject's position was triangulated. Just before sunrise the subject was located and extracted safely. The subject was then evaluated by EMS staff from Air St. Luke's.
The search teams were extracted shortly after sunrise and returned safely to the IMSARU compound at approximately 9:00AM.
We at IMSARU are always grateful for a happy outcome in situations like this. To help optimize for this, the unit members have been training in winter conditions throughout the season, including our winter overnight certification above Mores Creek Summit just last weekend.
We'd also like to thank the Boise County Sheriff's Office for their leadership and trust, and to the Bogus Basin Ski Patrol and staff for their collaboration and professional coordination. It was a good morning indeed!
Great job Jim, outcomes like this makes all the training worthwhile!
Heroes among us. You all are awesome!!
Well done winter’s warriors!
Great job and a great outcome
Fantastic group of people!
So great to hear of fantastic outcomes like this. Those of us who have had to rely on your services are extremely thankful for all your training and hard work!
Great job!
We're so very grateful for Idaho Power and their generous support for IMSARU. Thank you!Safety is a value we share with our communities. We recently delivered a donation to the Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit, a group of volunteers who are dispatched when someone goes missing in the Idaho wilderness.
We're proud to support their live-saving work!
Worked with you guys on a mutual aid call a few years back. Very professional and your ground pounders (who I was paired with) were awesome and covered some serious country effectively! Glad your continuing to get community support.
Earlier today, the Idaho Army National Guard held a memorial service for three of its own:
Chief Warrant Officer Jesse Anderson
Chief Warrant Officer Geoff Laubhan
Chief Warrant Officer Matt Peltzer
These three heroes were killed in training one week ago today in the Danskin Mountains east of Boise. Four of our board members were able to attend this service in person, and pay our respects to the fallen.
IMSARU once again expresses our deepest condolences to the families of these aviators and their fellow unit members. We are so grateful for the service the Guard provides, not just to members of the SAR community but to all Idahoans and Americans.
Rest In Peace.
Great work by the Boise County Sheriff's Office coming to the aid of snowmobilers near Pilot's Peak. Bravo Zulu!Feb 6th, 2021 Real time night rescue operations using the new department snowmobiles.
Two snowmobilers were stuck in the Pilots Peak area and called dispatch for help. Deputy Crawford and Sheriff Turner were able to find them and get them unstuck and on their way home safely.
Boise County Sheriffs Office
Well done.
Just after 9:00 PM last evening, IMSARU received a page to assist Elmore County law enforcement and search and rescue in a search for an Army National Guard aircraft that had broken contact. More than 40 members of our unit responded to the call, and shortly after we learned what the world now knows, which is that our incredible partner, the Idaho Army National Guard, had lost three of its own.
We at IMSARU want to share our profound sadness for the loss of these three service members, who died in service of our country. Many of us in the unit have been deployed on missions where these pilots were the only means of getting our subject to safety, a task which they consistently execute with professionalism and expert skill.
We express our deepest condolences to the families and fellow service members of these three heroes for their loss.
May they rest in peace.
EDIT: We also want to express our gratitude and support for our brothers and sisters at Elmore County Search and Rescue for their leadership in both the search and recovery efforts.
Elmore County Search and Rescue Team
3 Idaho Army National Guard members killed in helicopter crash
www.ktvb.com
The pilots were on a routine training flight when their Black Hawk helicopter went down near Lucky Peak.Heroes in every sense of the word.
Well said. ☹️
Rest in peace heroes
Another great day of training. In this case members of the unit were training winter rescue skills in avalanche country north of Boise.
Seven IMSARU members and K9 Eli traveled to Wendover, Nevada to assist the Elko County Sheriff's SAR team in a search for a missing 76-yo man. A lot of ground was covered, but the subject has not yet been found.
Thank you for your service.
Hopefully he is found soon.
Marla Ruhter
Our Tech Team was out at Jump Creek this past weekend doing some training on complex anchor scenarios.
Marsing Ambulance Service and Marsing Marsing Rural Fire District appreciates all you do and hope we don't see you in 2021, but glad u are available when we make the call!!
A report today from Idaho News 6 with an interview with our very own Christopher Weltner!
We hope everyone who can take the opportunity to enjoy Idaho's amazing winter outdoors does so. It's beautiful out there! But we also ask every party heading out to do a little bit of pre-planning in anticipation of what might go wrong, either on the roads or on the trails.
One of the best preparedness steps one can take before leaving is to let a friend or family member know where you’re planning on going, which route you’re planning on taking, and when to expect you back. That way, if you get stuck, or lost, or otherwise are unexpectedly overdue, law enforcement knows when to call us in and where to begin to help look for you.
Enjoy the beauty that is Idaho! Happy Holidays from all of us at IMSARU!
www.kivitv.com/news/outdoors/snow-in-the-mountains-encourages-families-to-get-outside-after-chris...
Snow in the mountains encourages families to get outside after Christmas
www.kivitv.com
While it rained in Boise this weekend, the snow came down in the mountains giving families an opportunity to enjoy some fresh powder and some fresh air.Earlier this evening IMSARU had its annual award ceremony. Among those was a new and very special award, called the Charlotte Gunn Women in SAR Award, given to Charlotte herself.
Charlotte has selflessly served IMSARU and all of the State of Idaho as a member of the unit for more than 46 years. She first joined the unit back in 1973, and has served in many different capacities actively, including being the unit's very first EMT.
Please join all of us at IMSARU in thanking Charlotte for her service, leaving a comment below.
Charlotte, we appreciate you for so many reasons. Your selfless dedication serves as a model for all. Who would have guessed the outfit we worked in in the early 70’s would have grown into the IMSARU of now.
Congratulations Charlotte! You are so deserving to be the 1st recipient of this special new award. Many thanks to you for all you have been to the unit and it's members.
Don't stop baking Brownies for the missions, Charlotte. We will all be glad when this pandemic subsides so that we can, again, see your smiling face.
Congratulations and well deserved Charlotte! Thank you for all the ways you have invested in the Unit and it's members.
This is perfect, very fitting and well deserved. Congratulations Charlotte!
You are an Inspiration! Thank you for all your years of service to the community
Congratulations Charlotte! That is a well deserved award.
Congrats Charlotte ... Well Deserved!!!!
It was an honor to meet with her today and begin this new salute to her and all of the women who will follow her. She is a role model!
Congratulations Charlotte! What an extraordinary woman
Fantastic!!!
So Great. Honored to be a small part of this group! That bar is set pretty high!!
Awww... Charlotte deserves that recognition- from high school where she taught us to be well prepared in science club to all the selfless time she has spent helping others. 😊
Congratulations Charlotte very well deserved!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Congratulations Charlotte! This is a well-deserved honor!
Oh Thank you soooo much for your service
her eyes are like glimmering emeralds! Beautiful
Congratulations
An inspiration to us all!
Charlotte has been an inspiration to many and I proudly count her as one of my mentors. She has made such an i.pact on our family that one of my children now has a little Charlotte who I pray grows to be as selfless, compassionate and fierce as the original.
So inspiring!
Congratulations Charlotte!!!
No one could deserve it more, congratulations Charlotte!
Congratulations Charlotte! So well deserved.
Charlotte has been a leader in IMSARU for many years, trailblazing for all women in SAR. Such a great recognition of a truly great woman!
It's Giving Tuesday across the globe, and we at IMSARU would love for you to help remember us today as you consider how you give.
Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue is an all-volunteer search and rescue organization serving the state of Idaho and surrounding areas for more than 60 years. As a member of the Mountain Rescue Association, we train to be ready at a moment's notice to help the citizens of Idaho and anyone who visits our beautiful state to enjoy the outdoors year-round.
If you can please support us in this mission with a donation, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so very much!
The Treasure Valley Givers is an organization of local business's that unite to promote their business and products to each other. Each year the group selects a non-profit (501c3) to "adopt" for the year. This year (2021) Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit has been chosen to be the benefactor of their fundraising capabilities. Since the Covid-19 pandemic has been a real handicap to our fundraising program, we truly appreciate their selfless act of helping with our program. Attached are pictures of the current Treasure Valley Givers spokesperson Kim McNew Keene and member Bruce Bucknell presenting a check for $2500 to our President Mike Rowe.
Kim McNew Keene
Vehicle operations training last weekend! We found some mud to play in and some cones to run over.
Excellent. Safety all around
Thanks to Idaho Capital City Kennel Club for their continued support to IMSARU. Idaho Capital City Kennel Club
IMSARU is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization that does not charge for its services. We rely on support from donors to fund our operations.
IMSARU assisted Blaine County SAR teams Friday and Saturday in the search for a missing hiker. www.blainesheriff.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=221
Many thanks to Longhorn Guest Ranch for hosting IMSARU K9 Team training on their beautiful property today. Nine K9s teams participated in a mock mission. Longhorn Guest Ranch
Such a pleasure to have your group at the ranch! You guys are awesome, we appreciate everything you do for our community 🤠❤️