Wednesday, May 23, 2007 Sabaldan: Mountaineers to train in search and rescue By Romy Sabaldan Davao Beat
MOUNTAINEERS in the Davao region will now have the chance to learn for themselves basic search and rescue and help prevent injuries and loss of lives in the course of fulfilling their favorite adventure sports.
This was according to John Verzosa, president of the High bound Adventure Society, Incorporated in coordination with Juber Lugas, coordinator of Mountain Search and Rescue (Mosar) together with the Mountaineering Federation of the Philippines, Incorporated (MFPI).
The first and unique training course will be held on May 28 to June 3, 2007 at the training facility of the 10th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army based in Malagos, Calinan.
The High bound Adventure offers a total of 42 slots for the weeklong package.
This consists of seven mountaineering clubs with six members per club.
Eight of the slots, however, have been reserve for the 39th Infantry Battalion, PA based in the peripheries of Mt. Apo particularly in the scenic Kapatagan in the Davao del Sur side of the country's tallest mountain.
For a fee of P700 as registration, each participant will receive training kits and Mosar uniform.
Successful trainees will also receive certificates signifying their affiliation with the mountaineering federation MFPI.
Qualified to join the training are those who are 18 years old and above and must be physically fit.
Lugas, who is training coordinator, said that the 7-day live-in training will teach mountaineers basic search and rescue with the help of the Davao Central 911 who provide teach ins on how to stabilize victims up in the mountains like the CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation), patient packaging and the brining down of the patient using the ropes in a rappel.
An important part of the training is called L.A.S.T for Locate, Access and Stabilize.
Locate includes navigation and tracking of the victims. Access will teach on how to get near to the victims by learning how to rappel using the single-rope technique and perform rope rescue.
Stabilize is learning the firs aid and transporting through the different trails and terrains.
Lugas said the training is comprehensive with the inclusion of plane crash operations and how to marshall rescue helicopters.
The inclusion of guiding rescue helicopters came about after the Davao City-based PAF was able to penetrate for the first time the harsh mountain conditions of Mt. Apo during the Holy Week incident that had claimed the life of one mountaineer.
They will also be taught as to how the helicopter operates and its entry and exit over the mountains.
The training will also identify the danger zones of the trail.
It's high time that the mountaineers themselves act as the first responders for lost and injured climbers not having to wait for rescuers and first aid teams who are way, way down the mountains and their response takes a long time.
For the last few decades mountaineers are dependent on trained rescuers for first aid and search and rescue.
The Malagos training hopes to make them self-reliant by performing on the spot rescue.
The buddy system will also be inculcated in the training, when one is down, the other will have to assist.
Training muna, bago akyat. Fatal accidents can be prevented if our mountaineers are properly trained in basic first aid and search and rescue.
Mountaineering Beat: Let us all be one in preserving nature and saving lives. – Mosar
