Fall 2020 Applicant Information Session
The date has been set for our Fall Applicant Information Session. If you are interested in joining IMSARU, check out the JOIN IMSARU tab on this page, and plan to attend the orientation on Thursday, September 17th, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. This one-hour session (held three times per year) will outline what it takes to be a successful volunteer in a Mountain Rescue Association search and rescue team. This orientation is a pre-requisite for applying to join IMSARU. Applications to join will be available at the end of this session.
Thursday September 17th at 6:30PM. 2519 Federal Way, Boise.
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One of IMSARU’s earliest members, Bill Jones, donated his personal stash of rescue equipment including the Stokes basket with wheels. Thank you Bill for thinking of the unit!
Due to a high level of interest, our Spring 2020 Applicant Information Session is now full and we are not accepting any more applicants at this time. This one-hour event is for anyone who is interested in becoming a member of the Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit, and is required before applying for membership.
For those interested in joining IMSARU, plan to attend the next Applicant Information Session which is scheduled for Thursday September 17th at 6:30PM. Additional details will be posted as we get closer to that event.
At 2:43 pm on March 20th, we were requested by Owyhee County Dispatch to perform a technical rescue for an injured hiker in the Jump Creek area which is about 40 miles west of Boise. We had a stellar turnout with 17 members responding. The basic dispatching information we were acting on was that a 21 y/o male had fallen down the cliffs on the south side of the Jump Creek canyon. He was injured and stranded mid cliff face.
We met with the on-scene Incident Commander (I.C.), the Owyhee County Chief Deputy, as well as Marsing Fire and Marsing EMS at the Jump Creek trailhead at 4:45 pm. The Tech Team deployed along with the Marsing EMS and Fire personnel on 4x4 desert roads in an effort to access the cliffs above the subject. This took longer than expected as all of the back-country roads were still slick and covered in soft mud from the winter thaw.
The terrain consisted of 30 to 55-degree, grass and sage brush covered, hillsides with numerous 25 to 50-foot vertical cliffs spaced throughout the canyon walls. Apparently, the subject and two friends were making their way down the hillside toward Jump Creek Falls, when the subject slipped and fell approximately 30 feet off of one of the cliffs that had another unclimbable cliff below it after a small clearing. This left only an upper level approach to the subject. The two friends stayed in the vicinity of the upper cliff talking to their friend and waiting for emergency personnel to arrive.
The Ten-member Tech Team contacted the two friends, and then were able to make verbal contact with the subject around 7 pm. The Tech Team was able to setup and anchor safely to lava rock formations and rappel over 100 feet to the subject (there were no safe tie-down’s available in the area where the subject directly fell). Upon initial assessment it was determined a rock raise, followed by a helicopter med evac, was the most appropriate action to get him proper medical help in the timeliest manner. The subject appeared to have ankle and wrist injuries as well as facial trauma. St. Alphonsus Life Flight was requested and while the patient was being cared for by IMSARU (Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit), they landed on the temporary LZ (Landing Zone) located on the upper ridge line at around 9:15 pm.
By dark the Tech Team had additionally deployed a litter and a full-body vacuum sprint. Initial stabilization was performed, the subject inserted into the full-body splint and then the litter. The team then started the 100 foot vertical lift. The Tech Team encountered some challenges during accent due to the irregularity of the cliff face and the raise was completed by midnight. The Fat Tire wheel was attached to the litter and with a belay line also attached, the patient was moved up the 45-degree hillside for over 100 feet and loaded into the helicopter for a quick 14 minute flight to St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Trauma Center.
The two friends accompanied the IMSARU members off of the hillside as all of the teams were recalled to Base. Everything was loaded up and the full team had returned to the Compound, in Boise, by 2:00am.
Thank you rescue Team!! #Volunteers People may not know the extensive training and risks the team takes, saving others. Great outcome too 👍
That doesnt look like 6 feet
Yall had the same warning as everyone else guess its natural selection at this point
Sounds good
Too bad these hikers didnt wait until next month to attempt this hike.
Stay Home!! You put a lot of people in an unnecessary situation!
You folks are inspiring. Thank you for coming to the rescue with the specially skills you work so hard to keep. It's an honor to have your team on the side of someone in need. We are truly grateful you serve in Idaho.
Go team! You are much appreciated!
I was venting because you guys are out doing stuff risking others lives because of others stupidity
www.climbing.com/news/search-and-rescue-groups-urge-people-to-stop-climbing-cabinetry-during-pand...
Search and Rescue Groups Urge People to Stop Climbing Cabinetry During Pandemic
www.climbing.com
"I haven't slept in days," said one SAR responder. "It's kitchen, after kitchen, after kitchen."Amie McDrummond Spencer Uhl Matthew Burgoyne 🤣😂😂🤣
A real nice write-up by the Idaho Press Tribune. Thank you Brian Marinelli and Lindsey Latham for taking the time to allow the Press Tribune to follow you around for a day and for meeting with Olivia Heersink. Thank you Olivia for a great story and telling it in such a fabulous way.
K-9 unit 'backbone' of Idaho search, rescue group
www.idahopress.com
BOISE — When Brian Marinelli joined the Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit about two years ago, he never thought he'd become a handler for its K-9 program.Super article. Well done IMSARU.
Joe Jenkins
In unity with community guidelines limiting group sizes to 10 or fewer individuals, the Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit has suspended non-mission and non-critical activities at this time. We will be encouraging remote training material and will reschedule cancelled meetings.
Every two years, our team is required to undergo a scenario- based field test in order to maintain our membership and accreditation with the Mountain Rescue Association. Yesterday, IMSARU successfully completed our winter re-certification test!
Good job! 👍👍🇺🇸
Congratulations. Great job.
I miss this for sure.I was the " Victim" many moons ago
We had a very well attended Idaho Sportsman's Show at Idaho Expo. The kids loved our "stickers" as did most of their parents. The Hug-A-Tree coloring books were a big hit also. Of course, our suckers put all of the kids on a sugar high much to the delight of their parents. All of the IMSARU team members enjoyed the show and we got to meet a large cross section of the people that make Idaho Great. We had a number of ex-members come by and talk about the "good old days", etc. We had an exceptional number of folks requesting more information about becoming members of SAR and we directed them to our Web site and Facebook page and explained our Orientation Meeting as the first step in moving forward. We want to thank David Beale with Spectra Productions for providing this show space at no cost to IMSARU. See you all NEXT YEAR!
Just wanted to give another "Thanks" to Dutch Brothers Coffee for the donated coffee during the second cold night of searching for a missing individual 13 months ago. When it is getting late (2230 hrs.) the snow has started to really come down and the wind has picked up to about 18mph sending the chill factor to almost 0, a cup of hot coffee sure helps warm ones body.
I finally got the dang date straightened out on the completion of the new garage. It was late spring of 1998.
To all of the great folks that are following the Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit Facebook page, this video, produced by our Training Director Chris Brookman, shows "How to build an igloo in three minutes" and is a time lapse production. This type of shelter would be utilized when there is a need to stay for an extended time in winter conditions. It may be an injured search subject or even an injured member while the team is stranded due to an unexpected blizzard or other unforeseen circumstances. To most it is called an igloo. We see it as an emergency survival hut. It will help bring us and the subject out of the wilderness. This is the type of training that we, as professional Search and Rescue Personnel, continuously work on.
Check out our winter shelter training from this past weekend! This overnight event prepares our team to operate safely during challenging winter missions in the back-country.
Very cool!
Idaho’s Brightest Stars Awards Ceremony
Hosted by
The Governor’s Commission on Service & Volunteerism
Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne and the Governor’s Coordinating Council for Families and Children established the Governor’s Brightest Star Awards in 2001, in partnership with the Association of Idaho Cities, to recognize Idaho’s “unsung heroes” who volunteer tirelessly on behalf of children and families. In 2015 the name was changed from “Governor’s Brightest Stars” to “Idaho’s Brightest Stars”.
This year, under the category of “Nonprofit/Civic Organization, Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue was nominated as one of the finalists. The official program description stated “Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit (IMSARU) is an entirely volunteer organization dedicated to saving lives through search, rescue and mountain safety education. Volunteers at IMSARU have helped children learn safe ways to maneuver in the wilderness and what to do if lost. They’ve educated adults on navigation, saved lives, found lost people, and provided a valuable human resource for local sheriff departments. IMSARU wants to help Idahoan’s safely enjoy the outdoors and come to the rescue in cases where that has not been the outcome.”
The presentation this year was held at the Boise State Student Union Building on Wednesday, January 15th. Lt. Governor Janice McGeachin presented each nominee, in each category, with a certificate honoring the commitment that they or their organization gave to the citizens of Idaho. Although Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit was not the final selection in our category, we were proud to have been nominated and selected as a finalist by the Appointed Commission Members.
We were represented at this gala presentation by President Mike Rowe, Secretary Dodi Newbill, Public Relations Director Ken Swickard, and member Vicki Swickard.
Congratulations
No need for SAR when you can learn how to play safe.
Sawtooth Avalanche Center » Motorized Level 1 Avalanche Course
www.sawtoothavalanche.com
This 2.5 day Level 1 Avalanche Course is specifically geared towards motorized users—snowmobilers and snowbikers. You’ll learn the basics of avalanche safety, making sound decisions while traveling through avalanche terrain, and how to perform an avalanche rescue. This class is hosted by the Saw...Prospective Member Orientation
This meeting will be taking place in an online format. If you are interested in attending, please send an email to vice-president@imsaru.org prior to May 21st. We will contact you with specific instructions for joining the online meeting.
Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the people that lost their lives in this tragedy.
Avalanche in Turkey wipes out rescue team; 38 dead overall
apnews.com
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — An avalanche slammed into a mountain road in eastern Turkey on Wednesday, wiping out a huge team of rescue workers sent to find people missing in an earlier avalanche....
IMSARU was in the Granite Creek area conducting our yearly avalanche rescue training for our team members! The foundation of avalanche safety is prevention and preparedness. This training provides our team with the skills necessary to recognize and avoid avalanche hazards, as well as locate and rescue buried avalanche victims.
Cool that you are getting great training. Which color coat are you!