Backcountry Awareness and Assessment

This Speaker Series webinar features special guests from Chaffee County Search and Rescue – North, located in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The purpose of this webinar is to share insight on how a SAR operation works (what happens you push the SOS button), advice on what folks should carry, risk mitigation, how to handle an unplanned overnight situation in the backcountry, and more! 

Our search and rescue expert panelists Beth Helmke, Carin Lechner, Jess Lewis, and Gina Lucrezi will share their insights, advice, and experiences, and are happy to answer audience questions. 

About Chaffee County Search and Rescue – North (SAR-N):

Chaffee County Search and Rescue – North (CCSAR-N) is an organization made up of volunteers who move at a moment’s notice to help folks who find themselves in unfortunate situations

CCSAR-N has been in operation since 1964 and is based in Buena Vista, Colorado, serving the northern end of Chaffee County. CCSAR-N is part of the county Sheriff’s department and is activated when the Sheriff determines it is necessary to meet some emergency or situation. Members of SAR are volunteers, who are at a minimum certified in basic first aid and CPR and search and rescue methodology.

Plans for an awesome day in the backcountry don’t always go as planned… falls, accidents, getting lost, avalanches, and medical emergencies befall travelers in our county and it’s SAR-N’s job to locate, access, stabilize and transport them back to more advanced care.

The number of missions vary from year to year, but an average of 60 active call-outs per year is not uncommon.