Welcome to The Brief
In depth articles on all things Search and Rescue, Wilderness Medicine, and outdoor safety; brought to you by industry professionals and subject matter experts.
Building Inclusive SAR Teams
In a world where more and more young folks are identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community, inclusivity and diversity have to be crucial components of these conversations if you want to build a resilient team.
Bridging the Communication Gap
Improving Communication with Deaf and Hard of Hearing teammates, subjects, and volunteers.
How to Get Found
What do you do if you find yourself lost in the outdoors? Read on for our advice on how to best get found (and how to avoid getting lost in the first place).
Communicating in the Backcountry
Whenever you’re prepping for time outside - whether it’s a solo backpacking trip, a SAR mission, or guiding a day hike - one thing you should always consider is how you’ll communicate in the case of an emergency.
Learn more about which device is right for you…
Real Life WFR Rescue on Mount Rainier
Tens after graduating a Base Medical Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course in Portland, OR at the Mazamas Mountaineering Center, Carol found herself as the first on scene of a rescue on Mt. Rainier.
“I was not expecting that!” said Carol in an email to her Base Medical instructors. “I was volunteering on the Sunrise side at Mt Rainier hiking up to Mt Fremont. An SOS was received by Mt Rainier regarding an injured hiker.”
The Base Medical WFR course differs from other WFR programs because of the incorporation of Search and Rescue (SAR) concepts into the WFR curriculum. Wilderness medicine and Search and Rescue are not isolated disciplines. Rather, wilderness medicine is a discipline of SAR, and SAR is a discipline of wilderness medicine.