MEMBERSHIP STANDARDS

If you have an emergency -
Please call the
Tulare Co. Sheriff Dept.
(559) 784-4670

To join SMR. . .

Sequoia Mountain Rescue (SMR) is the primary fast-response technical rescue team in Tulare County, California. SMR specializes in difficult alpine operations involving technical rescues and recoveries that require extensive training and professionalism. Officially Sanctioned by the Tulare County Sheriff's Department in our first year of operation, we are responsible for the rescue of lost and injured persons throughout the mountains and foothills of the southwestern Sierra Nevada. The Team is trained and equipped to excel in any mountain environment at any time of year.

SMR is made up of a diverse group of professionals that are drawn together by a common passion for mountain adventure and a willingness to freely give of themselves to protect others. SMR has the desire and the drive to succeed. It is this desire and drive within each individual team member that strengthens the team as a whole.

To insure the cohesion of a highly professional team, SMR is extremely selective in the recruitment of its members. Applicants are responsible for the following requirements to be considered for membership.

Application Requirements

Must be at least 21 years of age
Must hold a current valid CA Driver's License
Must complete Team Application
Must undergo a background investigation by the Tulare County Sheriff's Department (TCSD) and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Must be physically capable of performing strenuous activities in a mountain environment whereas member would be performing SAR operations.
Must have a minimum 1-year experience as a backpacker or climber.
Must possess and know how to use all gear as outlined in the basic Ground Search Requirements.

A REQUIRED reading list includes the following books & technical papers:

Cmc Rope Rescue Manual by James A. Frank (Editor)
(Paperback - November 1998)

High Angle Rescue Techniques by Tom Vines, Steve Hudson
(Paperback - January 1999)

Considerations for Rope Rescue by Kenneth Laidlaw
(Available on this site 1.3MB Download)

If you feel you have the dedication, experience and conditioning to be a member of our team, we would like to receive an application from you and meet. Please start by printing out and completing the application and sending it to:

Sequoia Mountain Rescue
5608 W Walnut Ave.
Visalia, CA 93277
or FAX it to: (559) 992-0166

For complete requirements, please see our Team Membership Requirements Document.

Standards

Sequoia Mountain Rescue requires all members to qualify for certification as Tech 1, Tech 2, or Tech 3. These requirements are outlined in the:

Tech Certification Document

All Sequoia Mountain Rescue members are to log their hours of training and turn in monthly reports to the training officer. These reports are to be made with the SMR Training Check-off log - (Available when in the Application Phase)

Copyright 2003 © All Rights Reserved All code, design, style, layout and hosting is provided by Vantage Technology Group, Inc. No part of this website or the operational code may be copied or duplicated without written permission from Sequoia Mountain Rescue.