Was also in the process of trying out a new vest setup. Per our SOPs, Technical Rescue operations require us to wear a class III rescue harness, aka a “Horse Collar.” Goes up and around the shoulders and has a belay strap that comes down the middle to your crotch. Because of the nature of hanging and gravity, this strap needs to not be buried under other gear. As such, a split harness is your answer. In this setup, my split harness had Medical, Radio + sustainment gear on the left side of the harness, and two mag pouches designated for hydration on the right side of the harness. (Nothing else on right side as it can get caught up in Rappel operations etc.) Tossed the water bottle in one of the mag pouches, clipped it closed, cinched the lid and waited for my Helo Uber.

Pro tip – make sure you clip your split harness BEHIND the Harness strap – otherwise the Rescue harness will end up blowing out the clips leaving you with a Tank top that’s been split down the middle. Same goes for wearing the harness with a PFD.

I was already kneeling down when the Helo arrived, waited for signal from Pilot indicating a “Good Hover,” and gracefully boarded my ride.

We get to my location, I get out of helo, take my position on edge of cliff to await students. In the lull, thought I would grab a quick sip of water before students start arriving. Reached down to my right side mag pouch, which was still clipped and cinched and found it empty. WHAT!? Panic and anxiety hit as I feared I had lost it during flight. There’s no way. Was it still in the Helo? Frig! What was it?!?

Looking closer at the pouch I instantly realized what had happened. When I knelt at the LZ, the kneck of the bottle was narrow and long enough that it pushed it’s way under the clipped lid of the mag pouch. As I shifted weight from my knee and leaned forward to enter the helo, that must have been enough to allow the bottle to tip out of the pouch. SHAME!!!

Sure as sh*t, as the evolution was over and I returned to the LZ, buried in the dirt right where I was kneeling was my water bottle. Ugh. Dumb@ss. This could not happen again. Bad Dana. I had to find a way to ensure whatever was in those pouches would not creep their way out.

I really didn’t want to have to go buy more pouches etc. Looking at available bottle holders online, I noticed most of them had some sort of neck retention for the top of the bottle, and some sort of seat that the bottom of the bottles would sit in. VOILA!! That was it!! I just needed a BOTTLE NOOSE!!

I dug into my tactical arts and craft skills and fastened up a solution.

While I would have preferred using Shock Cord and cordlocks, in my haste to get this resolved I opted for some Paracord. I looped it through the back of the Mag Holster / MOLLE, and tied a quick and dirty friction hitch that would secure the neck of whatever I had in the pouch without letting it get loose and fall out. When time came, I could easily loosen the hitch, take a drink and place / secure the bottle back into the pouch. While the lid of the Mag Pouch doesn’t do much, it does cover the hitch to ensure it doesn’t find a way to get caught on something. Not bad. Works with all the plastic Gatorade / water bottles I tried, including aluminum can style beverages shown in pic. As long as it fits in the pouch and there seems to be some ‘lip’ you can cinch the BOTTLE NOOSE under, you should be g2g. (Good to Go.)

Happy to say my solution has been working since, and I have yet to go thirsty on a mountain. Your Mileage May Vary.

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ZERT is a pretty cool organization that uses ‘Zombie’ as a metaphor for anything that can go wrong, and they openly share info and offer training in all sort of disaster / emergency type scenarios.  Their instructors are top-notch, super experienced folk and I’m more than honored and humbled to be recognized as one.  Beyond that, they just have a really cool, drama free user base that lives to share info and help each other out  Really can’t say enough nice things about my time with that group.  I think the numbers are over 20,000 at this point, with ‘squadrons’ all over the globe.  And yes, I go by the name ‘Instructor Chico.’

In the video I demo a pre-tied piece of webbing I’ve used as a harness. It sits in an ESS Goggles case that is hooked to my shoulder strap of my SAR Pack. The ESS pouch sits low and out of the way, and the harness / webbing is a very quick deploy. (Worst case you always have an extra 10-20ft piece of webbing.)  It’s not perfect by any means, or comfortable, but it will get the job done when you have limited options.

You can also use the pre-tied webbing as a ‘throw-loop,’ ‘drag-loop,’ or if need be form it into an X and use for limited transfer mechanism. Or use a girth hitch to hang pack, gear etc. from a tree on an overnight.

And yes, for my experienced rope folk, there is a concern about tri loadng the ‘biner. Again, this solution is not perfect, it’s dirty if anything but will work in a pinch.  Use at own risk and don’t be stupid.

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I start by rounding up my gear, some team gear, and fellow instructor gear and begin laying it all out in the front of the classroom or environment I’m teaching in. I spread it out so you can see every piece of gear. I put out water, I put out food. I put out Rope, stokes compasses, Trekking Poles, backpacks, radios etc. Everything I can find or get my hands on. It’s all laid out clearly so the students can see.

For new SAR folk who are eager to get going and even more eager to start purchasing gear, it’s very sexy and attention getting seeing all this cool stuff laid out.

I then address the group, invite them to come up and look at the spread out pile of SAR gear in the front of the classroom. I ask “”Of everything you see here, what is the most important piece of gear we use?””

I get great, logical responses. People answer “”Water,”” people answer “”Stokes Litter,”” “”Knife”” and all sorts of very good answers – but never the correct answer I’m looking for.

The answer I’m looking for is the tiny notepad and writing instrument.

I then proceed to tell them that while all this other gear is truly very important and needed – the notepad containing the mission specific details they write down is the most vital. What you write into that notepad gives you the important details you need to conduct the mission safely and securely. (In some large incidents you’ll be given IAPs and other ICS forms that contain mission specific info, but never count on that luxury or expect it.) You must write the mission details down or you will forget them. Details come fast and if you don’t scribble them down you’ll forget them even faster. Trust me on this, and more often than not those details will change… a lot. None of that other gear matters if you don’t have a clue who, what, when, where or how you may need it.

I close out the lesson by telling them that whatever briefing they’re given, team or situational, have that notepad out and write down all the info you can. Each time you respond to the ICP or a unit leader, have that notepad ready to go. Keep it close, keep it readily available and keep it busy.

Then I make them pick up all the gear and put it away for me.”

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Search and Rescue is dangerous work. Professional, volunteer, amateur or expert – things go bad, and when they do, they go bad very fast. Ever year searchers get hurt, searchers get killed. It’s the nature of what we do. Stupid things happen, dumb mistakes are made and sometime disasters happen through no fault of anyone. Worst case scenarios are realized. People put themselves in harm for other people, most of the time as volunteers. It’s a beautiful thing, but very risky and incredibly dangerous.

Safety Priority List
Early on you should be taught the priority list in terms of safety. If you haven’t it goes a little something like this –

1 – Your safety is the top priority. You’re #1. Watch out for yourself first.
2 – Your team / teammates safety is the next priority.
3 – Any bystanders or “lookie loos” are third.
4 – The subject or victim’s safety is last.

You’re #1
In any SAR response, your personal safety should be your top priority, always. Watch out for yourself first, then your team, then the other people. Make sure the other people don’t become victim’s themselves. Unfortunately for the subject, they more-or-less got themselves in that mess and we should make sure everyone else is safe before we risk getting to them.

So, understanding that priority list, what’ the safest way to do Search and Rescue?
What we do is risky, dangerous and in all honesty insane. We’re crazy people. Why would you leave the comfort of your couch to go get dirty and sweaty for someone else? The sun sucks, why go outside? Why get out of bed at 2am to go out in the snow? Why would anyone want to go climb a mountain? How the hell do Helicopters even stay in air? The rain is out of control, and with all that excess water you know there’s gotta be some raw sewage in there. Who likes trudging through poop water? All for basically free?!

While on-scene, safety is always paramount, and training and experience paired with solid, sound leadership and teammates will help to mitigate most all the risks, but for us insane people, the second we answer the phone is the second we start putting ourselves in danger. Many searchers have been killed on their way to and from a mission. More searchers are killed the instant they get complacent or let their guard down, on or off a mission. You can never predict a callout, as such you’re never fully rested, hydrated or mentally prepared to go. Checklists, pre-planning and staged gear load-outs help, but only if you’ve gotten to the point where you go robotic / methodical in your response.
All that being said, again, what is the safest way to do Search and Rescue?

Just say No
The only clear answer is the safest way to do Search and Rescue is not to show up. Don’t join a SAR team, don’t respond and don’t volunteer.

Stupid is as Stupid Does
10Fortunately for the lost and hurt, we don’t listen to that advice. As searchers we’re born a different way. Whether our chemical makeup is jacked, we have an out of control ego, or we truly want to help – we still show up, “Ready to get sweaty” all while knowing Mother Nature will kill us first chance she gets. We’re okay with chaos, and acknowledge things can go terribly wrong. We know we can deny orders based on safety, but will still gladly accept risk. We look forward to mentally and physically brutal training events because we know the live operations will still never be that comfortable. We understand some of us may get hurt, but we do it anyways. We miss family time, social events and days off, and we still do it. As one of my teammates so eloquently said “Fck personal lives, we love this stupid sht and we keep coming back.”

This isn’t written to deter or scare those who wish to help, if you want to do it, please join up – we definitely need the help. But recognize the commitment you’re making, it’s not just a couple hours a month; it’s constant, it’s non-stop and it’s never convenient. The instant you start slacking off you put you or your team in danger because your lack of training or awareness may cause one of them to get injured. Hard truth.

If you want to be safe, don’t show up. Ever.

However, if you’re ready, commit. Join us. If you want to do this, be serious, and be serious always. And for those who choose to keep running towards the danger, big or small – be safe, and I’ll see you out there.

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I had already installed the SMITTYBILT MOLLE OVERHEAD rack, which was the perfect location to hang / mount them from.

I’m not going to go into a lot of detail on wiring; there is a great write-up HERE and HERE.  (@ PROJECT-JK.)  I followed that, and so far the Jeep hasn’t blown up.

The radios I use are a UNIDEN PRO 520XL and a KENWOOD D710.

Highly advised you fuse your lines, and keep it as neat as possible.   Both of my radios are wired directly to the battery and grounded in the same spot.  (Passenger side pic – the Black / Yellow ring under the ‘foam’ circle are the grounds.)

Both radio antennas are mounted in the back of the Jeep.  One off the door on a SPARE TIRE CB MOUNT, one on the tire swing.  Not the greatest location for antennas, but the setup works and I have adequate comms when / where I need them.

The CB uses the speaker from the CB unit itself, it’s a bit muffled with the D710 head unit mounted over it, but it works and I can still hear it fine at 70mph with the soft-top on.

The D710 is wired directly into the car stereo via the Aux port.  I chose this so I could listen to music / GPS and still have HAM comms.  (I may eventually wire separate speakers to the Kenwood unit, but for now, the Aux setup works.)  The head unit is what you see hanging from the MOLLE rack.  I inverted the mounting bracket in order to get it to hang.  The main unit is tucked under the passenger seat.  All the
potentially ‘visbile’ radio wires are tucked under the interior molding / trim.
The rest are a bit of a mess under the passenger seat.  Also installed a GROUND LOOP ISOLATOR to help with alternator whine etc.

Instructions

1. Make sure your Jeep is Dirty, like it should be.
2. Hang the radios where you like.  I used Velcro straps to cinch them down / together.
3. Run wires across the top panel, and down the passenger side.
4. Remove air vent cover, punch out side dash panel.
5. Ground neg wires, use a coat hangar to punch through the firewall into the engine bay and run power lines.
6. Hook lines into battery.
7. HAM / CB Away – just make sure you turn them off when you park your Jeep or they’ll drain your battery.

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Clothing / Gear becomes an issue.

I helped start a volunteer SAR team around 2012 and the team quickly grew and the need for a uniform was apparent. We selected an inexpensive mechanics shirt, in blaze orange. It was inexpensive, had a collar, and we could sew our patches / rank insignia to it. It was a decent shirt, the problem was mechanics don’t really do what we do… and it showed. The shirt looked great for ‘gala’ events, but in the field was an issue.

After a few months of seeing my teammate’s frustration with our mechanic shirts, a few borderline heat exhaustion scenarios and just plain discomfort – I put my ‘T.A.C.’ hat on – aka ‘Tactical Arts and Crafts.’

Enter the Military Combat shirt. It breathes. It wicks. It has durable arms. It has extra pockets. It looks friggin’ cool.

These shirts work for our dedicated servicemen around the globe. They’re fantastic pieces of technology, comfort and functionality. The inherit problem with the Military Combat shirt is that they mostly come in colors and patterns that blend with the wearers environment. For Civilian Search and Rescue, we need to be seen and not blend in.

Strategy and Tactics

There seems to be two main methods for dying clothing. One is the stove-top method, where you get a big pot and boil everything. It’s very popular and seems to be accepted as the general ‘best practice.’ You need a big, big pot.

*Note* If you do go this route, I’ve read you should never use that pot again to cook / eat out of .

The other route is using your washing machine. It’s easier, but commonly agreed not as effective. After my experience – I tend to disagree. Between my tenacious ambition and a lack of a giant pot – I went the washing machine route, and it worked great.

Logistical Needs

• Top Loading washing machine
• Khaki or other ‘light’ colored Combat Shirt ($40-$150)
• (2) Bottles of Rit Sunshine Orange Dye ($3ea)
• Wooden spoon
• 1.5 hours of labor

Execution

You’ll definitely want to understand how your washing machine works beforehand. Specifically, know how to make it ‘agitate’ the shirt.

Since I was only doing one shirt, I set the washer load setting to ‘small,’ and turned it to use it’s hottest water setting. Additionally, I boiled the largest pot of water I had and dumped that in the washing machine before it filled. Rit will tell you to either add a cup of salt for natural fabrics (Cotton etc.) or a cup of vinegar for synthetic fabric (Silk, Linen, Nylon.) Since a combat shirt is a blend of both, I used both 1 cup of salt, and 1 cup of Vinegar. I poured all of that into my washing machine, agitated it briefly, and dunked in my shirt.

*Note* An advantage of using a small or medium sized load is that when you’re done, you need to bleach the interior of your machine. Dyeing with a ‘small’ load, followed by a bleach-run with a a ‘large’ load will ensure the bleach / water line goes well above where your dye pool was.

You’ll definitely want to understand how your washing machine works beforehand. Specifically, know how to make it ‘agitate’ the shirt. I made sure the washing machine was always ‘agitating’ the shirt. You don’t want your washing machine running a ‘cycle’ where it fills / drains. For me, it meant I had to keep my ears open and every 3-5 minutes or so reset it back to ‘agitate.’ I also used the wooden spoon to agitate / move the shirt around a bit. I did this for about an hour.

Final

You can do all of this on your own, for about $10 more than the cost of your shirt. It’s easy, anyone can do it. You can get the dye at Wal Mart, Joann’s, Hobby Lobby etc. Combat shirts can be found on Amazon, your local surplus store or even many Airsoft sites.

Going Forward

The shirt works great. I’ve worn it in 110 degree weather, I’ve worn it in 50 degree weather and it feels fine. It’s been about a year since I died it, and it may have faded just a little bit. I plan on repeating the above process to get the shirt –re-colored.

Lastly, be advised that if you wear an undershirt with this setup, the first couple times you sweat, you’ll get some ‘orange’ on your undershirt. I got it mostly in the pit areas.

Notes

• Plan on trying different colors / dyes. Really going for the Safety range look
• I’ve only tried plain Khaki Combat Shirts. Want to try out a Multicam etc. to see how the dye looks against the Camo pattern.
• I haven’t tried this on pouches etc, but I’m sure it will work.

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Over the last year all the false, materialistic, self-centered goals and drive in my life have virtually disappeared. I recently got over it completely. All I needed to do was watch strangers dying.

Let me explain a bit before you write this off as a “Dana’s lost his mind and gone emo, emu or whatever” post…

This June I started EMT classes. Becoming an EMT was not something I ever imagined for myself. If anything, my behavior and actions were designed to keep EMTs in business. Part of Clark County’s requirements for becoming an EMT state that you must do a 12 hour ER rotation at a hospital, as well as a 12 hour ambulance ride-along. Beyond showing up and leaving on time, you’re pretty much able to do whatever you want for those 24 hours. You can sit around and watch all day/night, or jump in and get dirty with whatever is within your scope. (Under strict supervision by doctors and nurses.)

Most people would agree that they’d rather never spend any time in an ER or an ambulance. It ranks as being slightly worse than going to the dentist or the DMV. However, when you show up in one of these places as ‘the help to the help,’ it takes on a different feeling / role. I wasn’t providing primary care to patients like the nurses or doctors were, so at many times I was able to take a step back and look at things as an outsider, while still being engaged. (Keep in mind I live in Las Vegas, a place where your daily experience is pretty much defined by how much money and stuff you have. ER Rooms are about the complete polar opposites. )

What I saw during those shifts was absolutely eye opening. All these strangers were in bad shape. They were in their darkest hours, scared, confused and hurting. Years earlier all I saw was Movados, Mont Blancs, BMWs/Benz’s and blondes. Now I was staring face to face with a teenage suicidal girl who never even had a chance at life, a married couple that after 41yrs was making the most of their remaining time together, and a dedicated son doing everything he could to make his ailing mom comfortable as she passed.

Worse yet, I saw people completely alone and in pain, with no one to comfort them. I saw people mentally altered, who had no idea where they were, who these ‘strangers’ were or what was happening to them. I saw people talking and behaving fine one minute then completely crashing the next. A split second and the game changes completely for one person. I saw combative patients who had to be restrained because they were physically attacking the RNs and doctors who were only trying to help them. I saw it all, but the honest to god, most powerful thing I saw were people close to death only wanting a hand to hold; stranger, family, EMT, rescuer, whomever. Confused, hurting, scared and dying, with their remaining strength reaching for someone’s hand.

The first time I saw it was a few months ago, and whether it was the rush of adrenaline, the energy of the event, or just me being pathetic, it spun my world and almost brought me to tears. It was an elderly person, who maybe had an hour before hypothermia put them down for good. I’d never met this person, nor will I ever meet him again, but I was there to help, and hold their hand when they needed it. This person now has at least another Christmas to spend with their children, grand-children etc. and a chance to hold more hands.

That day I realized it doesn’t matter the hand you hold, it doesn’t matter if it’s got a $40,000 Patek Philippe watch on or if it’s holding a $1k Mont Blanc Pen. Cufflinks don’t matter nor whether it’s manicured or moisturized. Whatever steering wheel the hand was on prior to getting to you doesn’t matter, nor does whatever property that hand holds keys too. When it comes down to it, it probably doesn’t even matter how many fingers the hand has so long as you have that human touch comforting you. It’s the most important thing.

I know I’ve had people in my life look up to me for the material possessions I’ve acquired, the amount of money I make or whatever girl I’ve had on my arm. Hell, I’ve looked up to people like that as well and at times that’s all I personally cared about. However, I’m telling you today all that stuff is garbage, none of it matters. It’s nice to have things, and it’s nice to live comfortably, but what matters most is your personal relationships, marriages and families. The people you help and the people who will offer you their hand to hold before you even need it.

The simple fact is people hold hands all the time, and most of the time it’s an afterthought. Start considering it more than that, because I can promise you that one day it will be the absolute most important thing to you. When you go to bed tonight, think about who’s hand you’ll hold, or who might hold your hand. If you can, make sure those people know how special they are to you. Sometimes, it’s all you need to survive.

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Ever heard this?

We all have. Everyone gets rejected when applying for jobs, regardless of capabilities or talent. Einstein would get rejected from Einstein’s Coffee. Mark Zuckerberg would get turned down by the Best Buy Geek Squad. Donald Trump wouldn’t stand a chance at Century 21. Here’s why.

If you get a face to face interview, the organization already has a good feeling you’re qualified for the job. You’ve passed the HR Screeners, and are now getting a chance to back up what you’ve put in black and white. All that hard work you put in to this point has a chance to pay off with a shiny, new career. They want to meet you, and interrogate you. This is why.

Putting a Face with a Name
Quite frankly, ‘Joe Interviewer’ is only mildly interested in your qualifications. He doesn’t care about the hard work you put in, how many late nights you spent studying, or what your teacher gave you on a report. Unless you went to a big name college, you might as well be accredited by Supercuts. Hell, prior to this day, he barely knew you were alive. All he knows is that you passed the HR screeners, and that MAYBE, you’re a fit for the position… then again so are the other 50 people he’s having to interview amidst his already busy work schedule.

So congrats on having a resume, congrats on having a cover letter, and congrats on having fresh breath, but your future boss doesn’t really care about any of that. As they stare at you across whatever desk or table they’re sitting at, this is what they’re thinking…

1 – Do I want to spend 40 hours a week with you?

Are you personable, or are you a friggin’ robot? Do you do human things? Do you have human emotion? Are you funny or pleasant? What types of activities are you involved in, that I like or am interested in. Do I like talking to you? Can you even talk? Can you be social? Are you going to scare my Secretary? Are you going to scare my wife? Are you generally a fun person to be around? Can you interact without freaking everyone out? Are you a hermit? Do you enjoy life? Do you have interests? Do you sound like the person who did perform what they claim in their resume? Do you possess a character in line with your credentials? In 30 years, am I going to want you at my retirement party?

Even more important…

2 – Will You Make Me Look Good?

Do you look for opportunities, or do you wait for instruction? How likely are you to do something that will get me in trouble? Do you figure things out, or do you wait for someone to help you? Are you capable of independent thought that creates value? Are you able to take a simple command, expand it, and make it better? Am I going to have to spend time looking over your shoulder and managing you? Are you going to benefit this place, or is this place going to benefit you? Are you promotable or are you going to be the forever mail boy? Is there a chance that you’ll excel so well, it’ll make me look like a genius for ‘discovering you? Is hiring you going to benefit me?

Harsh as it may seem, everyone wants to appear smarter and better than they are. Getting hired is more about a playground game of Dodgeball than the ‘Gold Stars’ you got in XYZ class.

I’m Kind of a Big Deal…
So many mock interviews I’ve conducted with recent / upcoming college grads are narcissistic diatribes about all their wonderful SCHOOL accomplishments. I got an A in this class, I was IT student of the year, I was ranked this in my class.

Quite frankly, nobody gives a sh*t.

Nobody is ever going to ‘high-five’ you in an Interview.

What I really want to know is what you did outside the syllabus or curriculum. There were 10-100 other people in that class doing the exact same thing as you, where did you find opportunity to use and develop your skills without being asked or ‘assigned’ by your teacher?

Real Life Example: “I see you worked at a funeral home while in college? Interesting. How did they track their customers, burials or whatever business related information they require? Word Document, really? You, being the IT student of the year, how come you didn’t build them a database? Do they have a website? No? I see on your resume you’re capable of doing a website, why don’t you have any?” Burn.

Want to know what outdoes a Masters degree and a 4.0 GPA? Pure, raw, f*cking talent. Charisma, capability and creativity will land you the job over any Masters accredited 4.0 grade-wielding cardboard college cut-out.

Final Ra-Ra-Zip-Boom-Bah
Unless you’re Doogie Howser, you’ve been around long enough to know that ‘personal interest’ drives damn near everyone in decision making. Think it’s any different in Corporate? It’s not, and you can bet your shiny new college grad butt that drives their hiring decisions.

So Stand out amongst the masses. When you arrive on interview day, come prepared, and bring killer examples. Bring a portfolio. Bring ideas. Bring personality. Bring more than the other interviewees. Outdo your competition, and they’ll no longer be your competition.

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