What’s the number one inquiry that comes to the Colorado Search and Rescue Association’s inbox? “I want to join a team, can you tell me how?” Summit County Rescue Group also gets many inquiries from prospective members.

If you’re interested in joining a backcountry search and rescue team, here are a few things you should be aware of:

• The roughly 50 backcountry search and rescue teams in Colorado each recruit for themselves and they each have different processes.
• Almost no one is paid for backcountry search and rescue in Colorado. The only exceptions are a small handful of rescuers employed by national parks and a few law enforcement officers working for Sheriff’s Offices that have backcountry search and rescue as part of their duties. Also, most volunteers pay out of pocket for their personal equipment and for vehicle expenses to get to training and rescue calls.
• Backcountry search and rescue is team-based. You can read more about this at ColoradoSAR.org.
• Many teams require you to live full-time in the county they serve, including Summit County Rescue Group.

The glamorous-looking rescue you’ve seen on TV involving technical teams and helicopters is the exception rather than the rule. In the words of Routt County Search and Rescue, you need to “have a desire to drop everything and go help a stranger having a bad time in the middle of the woods at a moment’s notice, and it will probably be off trail, at night, very cold and raining or snowing.”

Generally speaking, the busier teams along the Front Range and the Interstate 70 corridor have an easier time finding volunteer members because they have larger local populations to draw from, and some of them are very competitive to join.  If, for example, you want to become a field rescuer with Summit County Rescue Group, Mountain Rescue Aspen or Alpine Rescue Team, you’ll be looking at a process that takes months, only happens every two to three years and only chooses a handful of candidates out of many to join their new member training programs.  

Many teams both big and small have associate membership categories you might consider.  One of the greatest challenges in the backcountry search and rescue world is that teams of volunteers must do all their own management and administrative work, ranging from bookkeeping to fundraising to equipment maintenance to managing public education. If you have relevant skills and the willingness to volunteer them, check the website of your local team to see if they have an associate member program. Need help finding your local team? A directory can be found at ColoradoSAR.org.

Teams located in more rural areas often have an ongoing recruitment process and a few of them are always looking for volunteers. Some even accept volunteers from outside their counties.

What do teams look for in new recruits?  Here are a few examples from Summit and surrounding counties:

Alpine Rescue Team: “The team looks for individuals who wish to help others and have the time and desire to contribute. No special skills are required. Attitude is much more important than skill level.”

Grand County Search and Rescue: “We seek those with a desire to give of themselves in the areas best suited to their personality and physical ability. Our needs are not only for assistance in the backcountry, but also administration, fundraising and community outreach.”

Lake County Search and Rescue: “Always looking for passionate and committed volunteers. We are also always looking for a few key personnel in areas such as radios, website optimization, emerging technologies, medical and rescue training coordinators, (public education); and individuals to lead grant writing and fundraising activities.”

Park County Search and Rescue: “There are many different roles and levels of support — you don’t have to be a world-class climber to provide an indispensable service to the search and rescue community.” 

Summit County Rescue Group: “No special skills are necessary to join, but we recommend that you have some outdoor recreational experience, and we caution you that a significant time commitment on your part will be required.  The most important attributes to (Summit County Rescue Group) are individuals who thrive on teamwork, are not seeking individual glory, and have a good attitude towards continually learning and improving on their existing skills.”

Are you noticing any trends? First, attitude, teamwork, availability and dedication are more important than skills. Second, many teams need administrative help, so you don’t have to be a skilled backcountry enthusiast or medical professional to help. Third, there are no heroes in backcountry search and rescue – it’s all about the team.

Anna DeBattiste is a volunteer public information officer with the Colorado Search and Rescue Association and a former public information officer with Summit County Rescue Group, both of which are 501(c)(3) nonprofits that rely on donations and grants for their operations. The Colorado Search and Rescue Association provides advocacy, resource coordination, member education and collaboration forums for backcountry search and rescue teams and other partners across the state.