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.
There are no upcoming Applicant Information Sessions scheduled for 2021. Dates for 2022 will be posted soon.
Meetings are held in person at our compound: 2519 S Federal Way, Boise Idaho.
Latest Posts
This past weekend, our Tech Team used this month's training as an excuse to do some clean up in the desert. All said and done we got five reps in on the highline, and pulled two pickup loads of garbage out of a local cave!
Well done IMSRU!
Right on!
IMSARU Tech Team rocks!
Higby cave?
Looks like Kuna Cave
I'm with Jake that's it's Higgbe cave South of Gowen field
HIgby cave? Been there.
Well done team!
Looks like Eureka cave out toward Mountain Home
Thanks for picking up the trash, but in reality, that should have never happened, as the people who did this, should be made to pick it up!
It does look similar to Higby, but that's not Higby.
Looks like Bear Trap cave. North of Minidoka.
Just moments ago, the final call for Garden Valley Fire Protection District - Idaho's Chief Jon Delvalle was sounded. Chief Delvalle succumbed to complications related to COVID-19 yesterday.
IMSARU wishes to extend our deepest condolences to Chief Delvalle's family, friends, and fellow firefighters, and express gratitude for his years of faithful service to the Garden Valley and Boise County communities.
Rest in eternal peace, Chief Delvalle, and godspeed.This is the toughest Facebook posting we’ve ever made.
It is with the deepest sympathy that we inform our community that Chief Jon Delvalle passed away on Tuesday, September 14th from complications of COVID-19. We ask that everyone in our community keep Chief Delvalle’s family and the many Garden Valley Fire Department volunteers and employees in their thoughts and prayers as we move through this most difficult time.
Chief Delvalle was a hero who will be greatly missed by everyone.
Super sorry for the loss. Get vaccinated!
Great news for IMSARU as we have a new 45-foot communications tower erected on our compound property in East Boise. As the old radio saying goes, “height makes might”, and this is quite a mighty addition to our mission capability!
As an all-volunteer non-profit agency, we’re grateful for the ongoing support from our financial supporters and philanthropies that allow us to make these improvements. Being able to have dedicated, reliable emergency communications, integrated with Idaho State Communications, has always been a must, and this new donation-driven enhancement is a next-level step.
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When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.Woohooo!!!!!!
Looks incredible! Many thanks to all of you mentioned, and unmentioned, who were instrumental in making this happen. Lives are truly going to be saved because of this.
Members of the IMSARU team got an opportunity to train with Cascade Raft & Kayak this past weekend. In all, twelve members attained the Swiftwater Rescue Technician I certification, covering life safety concepts such as swiftwater rope rescue scenarios, hydrology, vehicle-in-water rescues, flood disasters, and other techniques that are so valuable in our area.
Thank you again to Tren Long and the entire Cascade team. Anyone in the SAR or water sports community wanting world-class training, connect with them for sure.
Great picture, and thanks for your service
Congratulations!
Look at this great crew at the Western Idaho Fair! Come on by and get some fresh, hot, buttered corn at and help IMSARU raise some funds to support our unit!
As a friendly reminder, IMSARU is an all-volunteer registered non-profit. We'd love to see you at the fair!
Good time's
All this hoopla for what.? Not so impressed …
IMSARU's K9 team is an invaluable resource for searches of all types. We're so very lucky to have such skilled, certified K9s and handlers as part of the IMSARU family.
Click through for the video to see K9s Tako and Stella Blue showing their skills.
idahonews.com/news/local/k-9s-in-search-for-missing-five-year-old-michael-vaughan
K-9's being used in the search for missing five-year-old Michael Vaughan
idahonews.com
Since the night Michael Joseph Vaugh went missing, several search methods have been utilized to find the little boy, including the use of canines. The Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue unit (IMSARU) has been searching for five-year-old Michael Vaughan. Last week, they were deployed along with a canin...Good luck and good work!
❤️
It's TIME! We at IMSARU are SUPER excited to remind everyone that starting tomorrow you can get fresh, hot, locally grown corn on the cob at our booth at the Western Idaho Fair 2021!
As a reminder, IMSARU is an all-volunteer non-profit organization. The annual corn booth is one of our most important sources of fundraising revenue, so if you're attending the fair, please stop by and let us serve you, your family, and all of your friends some farm fresh buttery goodness! We'll be there every day through August 29th.
Look forward to seeing you there! Thanks in advance for your support!
Please stop buy our booth, buy some delicious corn on the cob, and support our local Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit - we serve so that others may live! Consider making a donation as well if you are able. Thanks!!
I remember this fun 🤩 shucked an awful lot of corn years ago lol with George and Charlotte gun
Thanks for all that you do!
Welcome back!!!! #2021. Thank you for all you guys do!!!
Always my favorite!!!
It was delicious as always!
Terrell Couch cob it up!
We at IMSARU wanted to express our deepest condolences to the Mangum family and the entire Valley County SAR community. Capt. Larry Mangum was a pillar of service in the Idaho search and rescue community and he will be missed.
Details of the viewing and memorial service below.
Rest in eternal peace, Capt. Mangum.
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When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.RIP sir 💙🇺🇸
Sincere condolences.
As has been reported, IMSARU has been actively participating in the search for Michael Vaughn, the five-year-old boy missing in Fruitland, Idaho. We were called in and asked to support the search by Fruitland law enforcement officials, and 23 of our members responded to aid in the ongoing search. The search continues today with a request by the incident leaders for members of the community to join.
Our thoughts go out to the Vaughn family and the Fruitland community and we will continue to support the effort however we can.
Search continues for missing and endangered 5-year-old in Fruitland, Idaho
www.ktvb.com
Michael Vaughn was last seen near SW 9th Street and S. Arizona Ave. in Fruitland on Tuesday evening. Crews and neighbors were out all day looking for the boy.Great job. Hoping for a positive outcome 🇺🇸
Thank you for being there. Hoping for a joyful reunion .
I'm a local paramotor pilot and would like to fly low around the area tomorrow to help out but don't want to be in the way of any official aircraft.. i have a call into Fruitland pd but have not heard back.. if someone has any contact information that would help out it would be much appreciated
Something important being shared here. While our unit vehicles are relatively modest in size, they’re still very large and we often need to pull our command trailer.
Bureau of Land Management Fire and U.S. Forest Service fire vehicles are much, much larger and may need to get into trailheads very quickly, especially in our current hot and dry conditions.
Please be thoughtful as you park accessing the trails. Thank you!Can you imagine if you had an emergency at one of the trailheads?
Please park respectfully and legally.
This photo is from last weekend at the Quandary Trailhead with one of our smaller apparatus. We need to be able to pull in, access compartments and gear as well as turn around. We know if it were your emergency you would want us there to help you. Thank you.
Amen!
Whether it's urban settings or wilderness, 105º or -10º, blazing sun or waist-high snow...when one of Idaho's agencies calls and asks for help, we come.
The end.Our fellow first responders are some of the best around! Caldwell Fire would like to extend a deep thank you to all the neighboring agencies who helped us with a search and rescue on Sunday. Your assistance was invaluable. And we can’t forget Canyon County Paramedics either!
Thankyou for your service!
Yesterday IMSARU received a callout to assist the Caldwell Fire Department, Payette County Sheriff's Office, and Caldwell Police Department in a search for a missing 14-year-old girl. 24 members responded to the search which was conducted over a period of approximately five hours.
We're grateful and relieved that she has been found safe and has been reunited with her family.
Missing Caldwell 14-year-old found safe
www.ktvb.com
"We would like to thank our amazing community for the assistance with this case," Caldwell PD wrote.Good to hear!
Did you find her
As many of you know, IMSARU is an all-volunteer not-for-profit organization, and all of our budget comes from donations and member dues. When we have a need for equipment, it's really exciting for us when businesses step up and offer their products for us to use in the field.
A special thank you to Eagle Peak Canopy for their generous donation of the this high-quality pop-up canopy, shown below in the field deployed on one of our recent missions. We appreciate it very much!
www.eaglepeak.com/
Thankyou for your service and dedication!
EXCELLENT canopy! Goes up in about a minute and withstood 6-7 mph winds. Highly recommend.
Fantastic work from the Arizona Army National Guard and Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.On May 29th, MCSO Radio received a call from a man who said he had been out in the desert without water for two days. He stated he had an injury to his knee, was unable to continue walking and started a fire signal in the area. GPS coordinates were obtained and MCSO’s Fox 1 responded and quickly located the man lying under a tree.
Tactical Flight Officer McBride, National Guard Sergeant Mills, and volunteer Helicopter Rescue Tech Wright made contact with the injured man and swiftly began life-saving measures after they discovered he was suffering from extreme dehydration, hypotension, and heat exhaustion. Sgt. Mills immediately began an I.V., monitored the patient’s vital signs, and gave a second liter of fluid intravenously to the patient who was becoming more alert.
Gila Bend Fire arrived and transported the patient via ambulance. The combined efforts of our MCSO Aviation Unit, the National Guard, and the volunteer Helicopter Rescue Tech helped save this man’s life. Thank you all for your combined efforts!
Thankyou for your service and dedication!
Great advice from the U.S. Coast Guard via the U.S. Forest Service. Be safe out there this holiday weekend!
Search and rescue team asks people to prepare for anything when headed outdoors | US Forest Service
www.fs.usda.gov
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.Good idea!
Lost but not forgotten, indeed.
I remember them all every day. I pray for their families to heal and prosper through their loss. I will never forget them ever.💔
Here's a big shout out to our friends and partners at Boise County Sheriff's Office and Air St. Luke's, as well as a reminder to take this current wave of excessive heat very, very seriously when enjoying the outdoors.
Yesterday afternoon, as a consequence of the heat, a mountain biker became seriously ill near the top of the Shingle Creek Trail in the Boise Foothills. Fortunately she was in a group and there was cell service which allowed another member of her party to call for aid.
Her location was difficult to reach by vehicle from any direction, requiring very capable high-clearance vehicles coming from Wilderness Ranch and Boise plus another steep hike from there.
IMSARU was called out and was preparing to assist Boise County services when Air St. Luke's dropped in and said, "we got this!". They landed on a tall ridge approximately 50 yards from the subject, and the flight crew was able to assess the patient, load her safely and transport her to Boise for care.
Bravo Zulu, Air St. Luke's! Thanks for your partnership in helping our community!
(video of the takeoff in the comments below)One of the many challenges of working patrol in Boise County is you have to be flexible and well versed in a multitude of tough disciplines. This is deputy Crawford gearing up to assist EBCAD in getting to a remote patient on a single track trail this morning.
Deputy Crawford would like you to know that he spends many selfless hours making sure he knows how to properly use the various equipment that might be needed on any given day. Thank you deputy Crawford for your great sacrifice. =)
Boise County Sheriff's Office
Outstanding teamwork 🇺🇸🇺🇸
What a cool job! So much respect for everyone involved! ❤️
Great teamwork by all!
Thankyou for your service and dedication!
While we at IMSARU always begin every mission hoping for a happy outcome, that's sadly not always an option. At times, the best we can hope for is assisting a grieving and confused family attain some closure.
Earlier this week Owyhee County Sheriff's Office located a vehicle in the Owyhee Mountains belonging to a subject who had been reported missing in April. An IMSARU team composed of ground searchers, K9 handlers and flankers, and RPT (drone) pilots were dispatched to organize and conduct a search in the vicinity of the abandoned vehicle.
Within 45 minutes of setting off from base, one of the K9 teams had located the subject in a treacherous area requiring a high-angle recovery. Members of our tech team developed a plan and after approximately three careful hours the subject had been recovered and placed in the hands of Owyhee County officials.
The family of the subject was notified of events and expressed gratitude to the teams. We at IMSARU are grateful to our law enforcement partners in Owyhee County for the opportunity to be of some small service to this family– may they achieve a measure of peace in due time.
Thankyou for your service and dedication!
As the weather warms and the creeks flow more rapidly, it's a good time to be mindful of swiftwater safety considerations, and to recall that even relatively shallow creek crossings can yield potentially life-threatening hazards.
In the early morning of June 18, IMSARU received an urgent mission call for a rescue of a father and son team that had been hiking in the Sawtooths near Grandjean. During what appeared to be a simple crossing, one member of the party had lost his footing and gotten pinned down underwater in deadfall across the creek, known as a strainer entrapment. This is an incredibly serious entrapment, and after much struggling and not a small amount of good fortune, the hiker escaped what could easily have been a fatal circumstance.
Adding to the complexity of the situation, the water running off in the creeks this early in the season is itself dangerously cold, and the combination of exhaustion and early-stage hypothermia left the pair on the opposite side of the creek from safety and unable to advance without help.
The IMSARU rescue team, equipped with swiftwater rescue equipment, was able to reach the pair, assist them in crossing to safety, and they were able to reach their vehicle safely and recover enough to proceed home.
The subjects have proactively shared their amazing Sawtooth hiking experience in video form, and with their permission we're sharing images from the rescue. They have graciously dedicated the video recap to our team, and we're grateful as always for a good outcome and the opportunity to serve.
youtu.be/pPxhW6Mv2Ac
Great Job, and thankyou for your service!
Great job
Thank you ALL from the depths of my soul for enabling my husband and son to return home to us. We are ETERNALLY grateful. 💕💕💕
Some additional images from IMSARU's joint training earlier this month with the Idaho Army National Guard and other SAR agencies around the state.
Is that the military version of the EC-145?
Shon Davis
Thankyou Iadho Search & Rescue, for your service and dedication!