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Grand County Search and RescueGrand County, Colorado |
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Grand County Search and RescueGrand County, Colorado |
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Menu What We do
Contact us: Emergency Grand County Sheriff Snail Mail Winter Park, CO 80482 |
The men and women who make up the Grand County Search and Rescue team are tied together by one common goal - helping people. We often help people who are lost or injured in our mountain terrain. Every once in a while we get the opportunity to save a life. That's what keeps us going.
Our mission load averages 40-50 callouts per year. We have assisted skiers, snowmobilers, hikers, hunters, snowshoers, climbers, rafters, fishermen, mountain bikers and lost children. We have been on scene for car wrecks, bus wrecks, airplane accidents, forest fires and train derailments. When the public is in need of mountain search and rescue services, GCSAR is there. GCSAR members perform many hours of public service work besides actual searches and rescues. We are on active standby for many Grand County happenings including mountain bike events and cross country ski races. Our members put on safety programs for school children, backcountry skiers and snowmobilers. Each member spends an average of 100 hours training annually to maintain skills and expertise in mountain search and rescue techniques. Many of our members travel cross state to participate in trainings and missions as required at their own expense. All team members provide their own personal gear without reimbursement. Grand County Search and Rescue has been in existence since the late 70's and was officially organized and incorporated in 1985. We have grown from a loose cadre of volunteers, horsemen and concerned citizens, initially organized as a sheriff's posse to aid victims of backcountry emergencies, to a full scale rescue team servicing all of Grand County. With the growth of Grand County as a recreational destination our role to provide mountain search and rescue services has dramatically increased. In 1995 we became fully accredited members of the national Mountain Rescue Association by demonstrating team competence in all aspects of mountain search and rescue, including avalanche rescue, technical rescue, search techniques, leadership and communication skills. We reaccredited with the MRA in June of 2000 - see some photos from the weekend. Additionally, we are strong in specialized scenarios particular to Grand County including snowmobile search and rescue and swift water rescue. Through our affiliation with the Mountain Rescue Association and the Colorado Search and Rescue Board we can effect mutual aid search and rescue operations not only in Grand County, but wherever we may be needed in Colorado or other states. Grand County SAR, as a volunteer, non-profit organization,
is funded through the Grand County Sheriff and through grants
and donations. The primary use of funds is for technical, communications
and transportation equipment, SAR education, training and baseline
team expenses. We also have a building fund with the hope of
someday having a facility for our team. No members are paid salaries
or wages.
If you live in Grand County and have a desire to help people through mountain search and rescue you are welcome to join our team. Members must be eighteen, but no previous experience is required. Training in all aspects of search and rescue is free and provided by experienced instructors. The technical search and rescue training that we provide is essentially unavailable elsewhere. Equipment requirements for a Support Member are minimal and geared toward self support in the field. In addition to field team members, administrative, maintenance, grant writing, fund raising and financial support are appreciated. Anybody can help! If you are interested in joining Grand County Search and
Rescue contact us by mail, e-mail or just show up at one of our
trainings. Prospective members are always welcome.
Grand County is located west of Denver in the northern
Colorado Rockies. Rocky Mountain National Park, the Indian Peaks
and Vasquez Wilderness and the headwaters of the Colorado River
are located along the Continental Divide which forms our eastern
boundary. The western side of the county is rolling hills and
plateaus of the Colorado River Valley. Tourism and ranching are
the primary industries with the Winter Park Ski Area being the
largest employer. Recreational opportunities abound throughout the county. The most popular outdoor activities are skiing, mountain biking, hunting and fishing, snowmobiling and camping. For general information about our area try the Grand County Tourism Board or the Winter Park/Fraser Valley Chamber of Commerce. GCSAR Simplified Rescue Systems Print, cut out and fold this EXCEL shirt pocket reference for system strengths, litter commands, and haul systems. Looks good on green/ yellow paper. We developed this reference during our recent Reaccreditation. Pictures blatantly stolen from Bill May's Mountain Search and Rescue Techniques. Please feel free to modify the spreadsheet for your use. MRA Rocky Mountain Region Teams
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We
are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week , 365 days a year
with a fully qualified team of trained personnel to deal with
any search or rescue within our scope. We will go out on a search
in the middle of a blizzard on a winter night because we are
trained - and because we are needed.
The
history of Grand County revolves around ranching, railroads and
logging. The railroad passes through Grand County after traveling
through the eight mile long Moffit Tunnel under the Continental
Divide.