Ever wonder who might come to your rescue when your climb goes sideways? Depending on the geography, there may be a web of public agencies that would respond, but when additional or technical resources are needed, chances are the men and women of the Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit (BAMRU), or a sister unit, will be deployed.

BAMRU is part of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services that is 100% volunteer and primarily supported by donations and members’ dues. Yes, you read that right – the volunteers PAY for the privilege to help extract your butt from a between a rock and a hard place. This wilderness search and rescue team specializes in difficult terrain, challenging weather, or high altitude and can be called to support efforts looking for hikers or climbers in need of assistance anywhere in California. The expectation of this team is that they can be deployed and be self-sufficient in the backcountry for up to 72 hours.

The volunteers not only open their wallets and donate their time for the rescues, but they train year-round to keep up their skills and educate new trainees. They work to hone their skills in many areas: technical rescue systems, rock/snow/ice climbing, search management, tracking and navigation, communications, and wilderness medicine.

Two BAMRU members who also serve on the Board of Directors, Shannon Lucas and Colin Little, recently gave a presentation to the Sierra Club Peak Climbing Section.  They shared a wealth of information on how to avoid being rescued and what to do in the event you or a member of  your party is involved in a rescue situation. Key takeaways included:

• Tell someone your schedule with details of where you are going, when you will be back, and when to sound the alarm.  No one can find you if they don’t know where you have gone!
• Set a plan if you are traveling with a group – Will you stay together?   Will you wait at all trail junctions? If not, where will you meet and what will you do if someone does not arrive at the meeting place?  Good communication can help avoid a rescue or make rescue efforts more fruitful.
• If a member of your party is missing, do not delay getting help!  The 24 hour mandatory waiting period to report an adult missing is a myth propagated by Hollywood (I totally believed this!!!).  The sooner you call 911 or alert law enforcement/park rangers, the sooner your partner can be found!
• For the rescuee, the most important advice is to stay put so that rescuers can find you, stay warm/dry/visible, and signal anyone you see or hear.    This includes any aircraft overhead.  Signaling can include flashing your compass mirror, making angular shapes with rocks and branches, making a pattern in the snow with something like a flavored drinks, and waving at any aircraft.  Remember that waving one arm means “I’m OK” and two arms means “Help!”  Also, laying on the ground and making a snow angel makes it a lot easier for aircraft to see you as you will be exposing more surface area than that of a person standing.

This excerpt of tips is no substitute for honing your wilderness navigation, survival, and medical skills to help keep you from being the subject of a rescue, so be diligent about acquiring and maintaining them!

To learn more about BAMRU, how to join, or how to assist financially (donations are tax deductible), or have someone speak for your organization, go to www.bamru.org.

Emilie Cortes is the 2011 Chair of the Sierra Club Peak Climbing Section and was recently accepted into BAMRU as a Support Member until she is field deployable (see “Not So Alta! The climb that never was…“)