Is High Angle Rescue For You?

If you are interested in taking your search and rescue commitment to a new level, having fun with a close-knit dedicated team, and learning how to be safe on the rocks in high angle environments, you should consider joining the High Angle Rescue Team (HART).  Members of the HART help subjects who are caught in high angle situations (above 45 degrees or so) in the mountains of Colorado.  Typically, the subjects were climbing and got stuck on a ledge or fell to a spot from which they could not escape to safety.

Deep commitment not immediately required!

The commitment can be gradual if you want.  If you wish to start slowly, you will need to be SARTECH I, be current on the Litter mandatory discipline, purchase a helmet and harness, and come to HART oriented field exercises.  If you pass some proficiency tests in litter packaging, knots, and a few other skills and participate with us regularly, you will be set at the "awareness" or "responder" level of HART member.

Deeper levels of commitment available.

Other levels of certification require more time, proficiency, and equipment, some of which can be done in one training cycle if you desire.

• The "operator" level is where most of our team is.  The responder at this level should be capable of hazard recognition, equipment use, techniques necessary to perform low angle or over the bank type rescues, and participate in a technical rescue under the supervision of technician level personnel.
• The "technician" or "team leader" level is the highest level of proficiency in the HART.  At this level, the rescuer should be capable of hazard recognition, equipment use, and techniques to coordinate, perform, and supervise a technical rescue.  May involve search, rescue, and/or recovery operations.

The names pretty much summarize what you should be able to do.  Awareness level means that you understand many of the issues, but are not proficient enough to actually do much without close supervision, and then some pretty elementary, non-system critical tasks at that.  The operator level is for folks who are proficient in many of the tasks, but not quite all.   During a mission, they need supervision and a technician level person to design the rescue plan.  Finally, technician level members are qualified to plan, supervise, and execute a high angle rescue.

To become an operator, you must be a SARTECH I, purchase your own personal equipment (helmet, harness, carabineers, chest harness, personal belay device, webbing, and rope), and show proficiency in a set of skills.   You'll find that there are pieces of equipment that will make your job easier that you might purchase (ascenders, more sophisticated belay device to facilitate picking off a subject).  We offer training in June for Operator level.  It consists of two classroom nights and two weekends in the field.  To become an operator, you must attend all the sessions and show proficiency in dozens of skills over the six sessions.  We have a great time over the two weekends.  We camp out, usually at Eleven Mile Canyon Campground (not the resevoir), and we have high angle immersion.  At the end, most qualify for operator level.

To become a technician/team leader, you must be approved by the High Angle Training Committee (HATC), which looks to a variety of sources to determine your proficiency, commitment, and leadership abilities.  Most, but not all have been to external training classes, which are from 5 to 7 days long. 

Find out more!

If you are interested, contact me or any member of the HART (indicated on the roster).

For the High Angle Training Committee and the High Angle Rescue Team,

Roger Heath