Boulder’s Unpaid Heroes: County depends on search and rescue volunteers
19 Sep 2016
Search and rescue volunteers work alongside county police and fire departments
By Adeline Bash Gretchen Abbott and her two friends didn’t expect anything out of the ordinary when they set out to rock climb the first Flatiron late one afternoon last May. The experienced climbers were so confident they’d be back in town before sundown, Abbott was the only one who’d even brought a headlamp.
Volunteers to the Rescue
Rocky Mountain Rescue Group is one of five nonprofit groups contracted and mobilized through the Boulder County Sheriff’s Department to provide search-and-rescue services at no charge to Boulder County residents. The other four are the Front Range Rescue Dogs, Boulder Emergency Squad, Longmont Emergency Unit and Boulder County Sheriff Mounted Search and Rescue Unit. Since their founding—the oldest dates back to 1947—these groups have been run entirely by unpaid volunteers. Their responsibilities, to name a few, include swiftwater and dive rescue, avalanche search and rescue, wildland firefighting, and vehicle extrication. Working alongside county police and fire departments, they rescue hikers, climbers and skiers from hairy situations, regardless of the circumstances that led them there. They are some of the first to respond to the scene of a car accident, armed with the tools to get people out, and some of the best at finding missing people. “This is not a club,” says Boulder Emergency Squad chief and president Andy Amalfitano. “We run like a paid professional organization, we just don’t get paid.” Search and rescue is just one niche filled by volunteers during times of crisis in Boulder County. Groups like the Boulder County Victim Assistance Program, Moving to End Sexual Assault, and Project Edge Mental Health Partners also respond to emergencies to provide emotional and psychological assistance to victims, families and anyone else affected by the event. These volunteers devote their personal time and physical and emotional selves—sacrificing time away from their families, not to mention sleep—to be on call for the Boulder community day and night, every day of the year. According to Danette Tye, a volunteer victim advocate with the Boulder County Victim Assistance Program, “You live your life ready to leave in 10 minutes.” Many volunteers have done this work for 20-plus years, and the majority for more than five. Thanks to decades of experience and regular trainings and seminars, their skills and expertise in their specific areas often surpass those of their paid counterparts. Without these groups, providing these services could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. “It would be huge,” says Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle, estimating that the emergency volunteers—around 300 active ones—would amount to several hundred paid staff a year. “We would not be able to accomplish our responsibilities without volunteers.”Positive Impacts
During the past seven decades, Boulder’s volunteer community has assisted in thousands of emergencies, making them key players in some of the county’s most memorable history. The emergency search-and-rescue groups played a vital role in the response efforts following the 2013 Boulder County floods, for example. Responders still recount those days as some of the most grueling they’ve experienced.
How to Get Involved
New recruits are always welcome in Boulder’s volunteer groups to assist with everything from administrative work to hands-on emergency search and rescue. Here are a few resources for residents hoping to participate. Boulder Sheriff’s Office www.bouldersheriff.org The Sheriff’s Office is a good starting point to connect with the county’s emergency-service volunteers, including the county’s search-and-rescue volunteer groups and the Victim Assistance Program. Contacts: Marci Linton, Emergency Services Coordinator: 303-441-3646 Sgt. Dave Booton, Emergency Services Supervisor: 303-441-3625 Mental Health Partners www.mhpcolorado.org Provide emotional support during times of crisis with groups like Moving to End Sexual Assualt (MESA) and the Project EDGE (early diversion, get engaged) program, both coordinated through Mental Health Partners. Contacts: Mental Health Partners: volunteer@mhpcolorado.org MESA: info@movingtoendsexualassault.org, 303-443-0400 United Way volunteer.unitedwayfoothills.org unitedway.org/get-involved/volunteer Find various volunteer opportunities in Boulder and beyond through the United Way Volunteer Connection, or by directly contacting the Foothills United Way chapter. Contacts: Foothills United Way: 303-444-4013 Rosemary Arp, Volunteer Advisor and Volunteer Program Coordinator Rosemary.Arp@UnitedWayFoothills.org
Freelancer Adeline Bash enjoys writing about her adventures in Colorado almost as much as having them. A Boulder native, she studied journalism at the University of Oregon before returning to Colorado, where she now works in marketing for a local outdoor company.
