Seeing as it is election time again, and all we seem to hear about anymore is the primaries... I thought why not get into the spirit over things we know something about. You will notice a couple of questions and selectable multiple choice answers to the right... the question is, what should the next poll be? Use the comment box below to throw some ideas out there... no idea will go unread. I'll pick from the best of them (I'm assuming there will be more than one), and add it to the blog page.
I'm quickly learning the ropes when it comes to blogging... please feel free to add comments about the blog that will ensure it is the type of place people will bookmark and return too...
Getting better all the time...
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
Chippie Creek & Columbine 1
2007
Later in the season... as things slowed down, we were given the opportunity to take the helicopter off district...
Stop number 1 on our tour of the North... Montana and the Chippie Creek Fire! It was about 11 days of fun. With more helicopters than crews, Zion Helitack helped to support the entire helibase with many positions. We had a lot of experiences on this fire. We did some ABRO work, some helispotting, we topped it off with a little PSD... although we didn't get to spike out on the line as we would have liked... it was a good time had by most if not all.
Stop number 2... Wyoming and Yellowstone N.P. on the Columbine 1 Fire! between the buffalo jams and the tourists... just getting there was a feet in itself. We spent a lot of time supporting the fire with a variety of things. We had some cold weather. We had some 
rainy weather. Did someone say snow... no but it seemed like it was right around the corner. By the time we were done with Yellowstone... it was time. Most if not all were ready to be back home! We had lost two crewmembers back to school. We had also helped many detailers to gain some needed experience... but those on the crew were running on fumes.
rainy weather. Did someone say snow... no but it seemed like it was right around the corner. By the time we were done with Yellowstone... it was time. Most if not all were ready to be back home! We had lost two crewmembers back to school. We had also helped many detailers to gain some needed experience... but those on the crew were running on fumes.
It was a great trip all in all... and the longest role that Zion Helitack has been given the pleasure of taking. 35 days on the road... and a lot of miles under our belt we returned home satisfied to wait for next seasons off district role.
Cheers,
Zion Helitack 2007
The 2007 crew... 
What a bunch... (top left moving clockwise) Chris Jensen, Ben Suerig, Rob Brennecke, Erin Sparks, Kate Chappel, Paul Damron, Scott Dornbusch, Jessica Mico-Wentworth, Jezaree McNutt, Michael Reid, Alicia Tanrath, (pilot) Michael Wilton, Norman "Iceman" Allen
Missing from the photo is Curtis Ritzman and fuel driver Jud Callaway.
Early in the season it was slow... nearly the entire month of June was spent without fighting fire... I know that the crew nearly went nuts with the projects that we had to accomplish. Digging a rather large trench from the crew trailer to the electrical box... I am sure that if I had them dig one more foot beyond what we did, I would no longer be bloggin' they would have killed me where I stood. Pouring the concrete around the trailer to the workshop... another task that a bunch of novices undertook and if I don't say so did a wonderful job. I'm not sure all wanted to take credit for what we had accomplished, but I was rather proud of it.
It didn't take long for the season to get started and once it did the projects were a thing of the past. We don't have as many projects this next season, but then I am hoping that the fire season will be back to normal and we will be fighting fire earlier in June...
Cheers,
Dinosaur Bones?
Each season for the past 4 years, Zion Helitack has been given the opportunity to assist in a rather fun and unique project. The Grand Staircase National Monument (GSNM) paleontologist's have needed a way to extract the bones that they have uncovered on the monument. Due to the weight of the bones and the remote location, a helicopter is the obvious choice.
We have been pleased to pull leg bones, skulls, and even complete bodies of rarely if every before seen dinosaur's. At least two of the bones that we have extracted for them are new discoveries... it is fun to be a part of such a new and groundbreaking discovery. The bones are always plastered in a casing before we rig and lift them to waiting trucks and trailers. So unfortunately we have no pictures of the finished product... in fact it often takes many years to uncase the bones from the rock within which they were entombed... But just the knowledge of what we have been a part of is rewarding.
We are looking to help the GSNM out once again in 2008 by inserting gear and equipment into a very difficult area to reach. An area that the paleontologists refer to as "no man's land"... they are hopefull that they will unearth even more and diversily interesting bones that no doubt we will be extracting for them...
just a step back in time... Cheers,
Winter Time At The Base!
Often I get asked what happens around the base during the winter months. "Do you close the base down?", is a common question from crewmembers that only know the warm summer months of the base life. The answer is... NO! I am still stuck at the base long after most everyone leaves. In past years it has been just me and the cat. While Alicia is full time, she has taken the oportunity to teach at the academy in California for several months. Recently John Burke joined us at the air center... he too will now know the cold boredom that is winter at the base...
Occassionally there is something that happens that is worth mentioning... Like the visit by Laura Bush to Zion N.P. Did I get to see her, or shake her hand?... NO! I did however get to see her jet land and take off again... if you can call that exciting!
And there was the phone call back in '05, early in the morning to inform me that the coal creek river had burst its banks during the runnoff and the air center was being flooded. That is a mess that I still have nightmares about. It did a lot
of damage, and required days of cleanup and years of rebuilding. We still feel the affects of that mess even today.Almost weekly the Cedar City fire department is out playing with their newest million dollar toy. The aircraft crash truck is something to ooh and aww over. I wasn't very pleased the day they decided to test their water canon on our freshly plowed aircraft ramp... temperatures that night were well below zero and caused a sheet of ice nearly an inch thick to remain on the ramp for many days to follow... ooops!
Winters are filled with keeping warm and doing paperwork... not all that exciting.
Cheers,
The Beauty of Zion National Park
One of the things that attracted me to Zion N.P. and the foreman position here, was the absolute beauty of the park itself. Zion, very fittingly, is part of Color Country. The colors of the landscape are spectacular nearly any time of year. I must say that sunset is my absolute favorite, but sunrise is nothing to neglect either.
I suppose that the best part of my job is that I get to fly over this country. Most of it un-touched by humans... the plateau nature of Zion makes a lot of it unaccessible. If ever I am having a tough day when I ask myself,"why do I continue to do this job for the lack of pay I receive?" a statement that anyone who has been in the industry for some length of time has probably thought to himself/herself... when I have those feelings, all I have to do is look out the window of the helicopter down at what is so beautifully painted on the landscape and I
know that I have one of the best jobs in the world.No matter your thoughts or beliefs concerning God or Mother Nature and their intertwinned roles... I think it is safe to say that most everyone who visits Zion N.P. has a moment when in awe they realize that its creation is a masterful work of art, created by an artist that is unmatched. It is a very serene and inspiring landscape for sure...
I hope on your next visit to Zion you take the time to stop and notice a sunset... let it inspire you! Cheers,
Repeater Missions in Zion!
On occassion we are asked to assist in transporting radio tech's to repeaters that for Zion National Park, are in some very hard to reach locations. This is usually an early season project and one that the crew really looks forward to. Not everyone gets to land in the locations that we have repeaters. This makes it a right of passage (so to speak) for the members of Zion Helitack... "your not truely a part of the crew until you have landed on the top of Timber Top or West Temple".
Timber Top
This towering formation is located in the Kolob district of Zion N.P. Visitors from down on the road look up at the towering plateau barely able to tell, if at all, that there is a crew working on an unseen tower. Each year landing on the top of Timber Top is a challenge. The top of this plateau is covered in scrub oak brush and manzineta. Both of which grow incredibly fast, which means the helispot cleared last season is probably overgrown once again. We try to couple flying the tech's in with doing some improvement to the helispot itself. This is usually minor, as we don't want to clear away too much of the vegetation (which provides for keeping the
dust to a minimum during landings), however we don't want anything the stick up too high and possibly cause an accident or injury. Timber Top is near the NorthWestern most part of the Park and is at a fairly high elevation... between 7,000 and 8,000 feet.
West Temple
high above Springdale and the entrance to Zion NationalOne of the most recognizeable formations in the park... West Temple sits Park. It is the site for a very large array of radio antenna's. There are several groups that have radio repeaters on this site, and it is very difficult to reach as it is a plateau on top of a plateau... this is what gives it a very distinct look. Hikers can reach the top of West Temple,
but not without a little bit of rock scrambling. It is not a hike for novice's, and will take the better part of a day to get up and back (that is if you are in great shape and know where you are going). West Temple is a lot like Timber Top in that every year the Helitack crew must do some maintaining of the brush that thickly blankets its top. It is even more tricky in that the brush is nearly all manzineta and it grows in a layer of sand... Once vegitation is removed, the sand is easily blown away which causes pitting of the helispot. Currently management is considering options for putting in a helispot that is more permanent without being permanent (this is the plight of the park service... to respect the fact that it is wilderness area, but allow the use as needed by those who work in the park) I believe that the big issue is safety for those whom land on top of West Temple, and this balance with those who wish to protect the wilderness is often a teater totter...
I look forward to our oportunities to land on the high majestic plateau's of Zion... those who join Zion Helitack and pay their dues, so to speak, also get the chance to spend time in these hard to reach places...
Cheers,
Timber Top
This towering formation is located in the Kolob district of Zion N.P. Visitors from down on the road look up at the towering plateau barely able to tell, if at all, that there is a crew working on an unseen tower. Each year landing on the top of Timber Top is a challenge. The top of this plateau is covered in scrub oak brush and manzineta. Both of which grow incredibly fast, which means the helispot cleared last season is probably overgrown once again. We try to couple flying the tech's in with doing some improvement to the helispot itself. This is usually minor, as we don't want to clear away too much of the vegetation (which provides for keeping the
dust to a minimum during landings), however we don't want anything the stick up too high and possibly cause an accident or injury. Timber Top is near the NorthWestern most part of the Park and is at a fairly high elevation... between 7,000 and 8,000 feet.West Temple
high above Springdale and the entrance to Zion NationalOne of the most recognizeable formations in the park... West Temple sits Park. It is the site for a very large array of radio antenna's. There are several groups that have radio repeaters on this site, and it is very difficult to reach as it is a plateau on top of a plateau... this is what gives it a very distinct look. Hikers can reach the top of West Temple,
but not without a little bit of rock scrambling. It is not a hike for novice's, and will take the better part of a day to get up and back (that is if you are in great shape and know where you are going). West Temple is a lot like Timber Top in that every year the Helitack crew must do some maintaining of the brush that thickly blankets its top. It is even more tricky in that the brush is nearly all manzineta and it grows in a layer of sand... Once vegitation is removed, the sand is easily blown away which causes pitting of the helispot. Currently management is considering options for putting in a helispot that is more permanent without being permanent (this is the plight of the park service... to respect the fact that it is wilderness area, but allow the use as needed by those who work in the park) I believe that the big issue is safety for those whom land on top of West Temple, and this balance with those who wish to protect the wilderness is often a teater totter...I look forward to our oportunities to land on the high majestic plateau's of Zion... those who join Zion Helitack and pay their dues, so to speak, also get the chance to spend time in these hard to reach places...
Cheers,
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Summit Fire '06!
Summit Fire, this was what most helitack crewmembers (and firefighters alike) live for... I thought I might share an entire page on this incident alone... It had all of the elements that one might hope for when the fire bell rings...
The fire was reported to dispatch by Zion Helitack (among others I assume). We spotted it just North of Cedar City on the East side of I-15. At the time we made a judgement call that it must be threatening homes based on the location of the smoke column. It took dispatch a little while to say launch... Side Note; haven't we all been upset about this at
one time or another... dispatch has a reported fire, we know the thing is going to town, and yet that is the problem. If it is anywhere near an incorporated city than we better validate ownership prior to launching expensive resources. It is the same old question... launch the resources in order to keep the fire small and save dollars, or wait and see if the resources are needed before launching in order to save dollars 
(hoping it doesn't get big and out of hand). If it does get big and out of hand then we will claim that no amount of resources would have stopped it, and that will make us feel better about not making the other choice... It was only a 5 minute flight and we were off the ground in about 5 minutes (we had obviously been waiting for the call to launch). When we arrive on scene it was a total madhouse. There seemed to be volunteer engines everywhere, and the state warden was strugling to coordinate resources over the radio. Federal engines were just arriving, and the radio call for more air support was being broadcast as we looked for a landing area. We landed in a
field of light grass that was approximately 50 yards off the fires edge. There was no clear head on this fire... but I knew that we needed to get the bucket on the ship and start preparations to defend the home that was sitting approximately 100 yards off the fires flank. Helicopter launched, we carried the remaining gear to the road coming into the residence. I turned around to see that where we had just landed the ship was consumed in a 15 foot wall of flame. I was certain that everyone on the fire had their hands full... I looked over to Ice and said "pop a fusee, were going to light off the road". I won't say that we single handedly stopped the fire from taking out the house, but in a combined effort the house was saved. The remaining helitack arived shortly after our backfire, and set up a close helibase. 
I requested those not needed at the Helibase to follow the line up to where we were. By now the heavy airtankers were buzzing overhead and Helitanker 718 had arrived on scene. A request to drive the smokejumpers (located in Cedar City) out to the fire was made... boy they didn't seem to like the fact that 16 of them would drive to the fire. Knowing many of them well, however, I think the consensus was that getting on the fire would have been better if they had jumped
but just getting there was good. The fire at this point was several hundered acres and cranking in the P/J. We went to work... It was a lot of work, that lasted well into the night. It was a great fire that allowed all of us a chance to do what we signed up to do... the pictures included are all of the Summitt Fire '06... it is a fire that we look back upon as a success for Zion Helitack (and others who fought that day). You would be hard pressed not to hear a story about the Summitt Fire, if you were to sit down and listen to war stories told by Zion veterans...
I can't wait until the next bragable fire we have the enjoyment of fighting... Cheers,
The fire was reported to dispatch by Zion Helitack (among others I assume). We spotted it just North of Cedar City on the East side of I-15. At the time we made a judgement call that it must be threatening homes based on the location of the smoke column. It took dispatch a little while to say launch... Side Note; haven't we all been upset about this at
one time or another... dispatch has a reported fire, we know the thing is going to town, and yet that is the problem. If it is anywhere near an incorporated city than we better validate ownership prior to launching expensive resources. It is the same old question... launch the resources in order to keep the fire small and save dollars, or wait and see if the resources are needed before launching in order to save dollars 
(hoping it doesn't get big and out of hand). If it does get big and out of hand then we will claim that no amount of resources would have stopped it, and that will make us feel better about not making the other choice... It was only a 5 minute flight and we were off the ground in about 5 minutes (we had obviously been waiting for the call to launch). When we arrive on scene it was a total madhouse. There seemed to be volunteer engines everywhere, and the state warden was strugling to coordinate resources over the radio. Federal engines were just arriving, and the radio call for more air support was being broadcast as we looked for a landing area. We landed in a
field of light grass that was approximately 50 yards off the fires edge. There was no clear head on this fire... but I knew that we needed to get the bucket on the ship and start preparations to defend the home that was sitting approximately 100 yards off the fires flank. Helicopter launched, we carried the remaining gear to the road coming into the residence. I turned around to see that where we had just landed the ship was consumed in a 15 foot wall of flame. I was certain that everyone on the fire had their hands full... I looked over to Ice and said "pop a fusee, were going to light off the road". I won't say that we single handedly stopped the fire from taking out the house, but in a combined effort the house was saved. The remaining helitack arived shortly after our backfire, and set up a close helibase. 
I requested those not needed at the Helibase to follow the line up to where we were. By now the heavy airtankers were buzzing overhead and Helitanker 718 had arrived on scene. A request to drive the smokejumpers (located in Cedar City) out to the fire was made... boy they didn't seem to like the fact that 16 of them would drive to the fire. Knowing many of them well, however, I think the consensus was that getting on the fire would have been better if they had jumped
but just getting there was good. The fire at this point was several hundered acres and cranking in the P/J. We went to work... It was a lot of work, that lasted well into the night. It was a great fire that allowed all of us a chance to do what we signed up to do... the pictures included are all of the Summitt Fire '06... it is a fire that we look back upon as a success for Zion Helitack (and others who fought that day). You would be hard pressed not to hear a story about the Summitt Fire, if you were to sit down and listen to war stories told by Zion veterans...I can't wait until the next bragable fire we have the enjoyment of fighting... Cheers,
Fire In Color Country!
Color Country Fire is about as varied as it comes... Over the years Zion Helitack has spent time on single tree fires like the blackfoot fire of 2005. This fire was a lightning start during our monsoon season. The monsoons typically strike in late August and last into September. Now don't quote me on that... mother nature has a mind of her own, and we have seen some strange weather patterns in SouthWest Utah. Fires like the Blackfoot fire are typically taken care of in a matter of several hours, with a small 2 person initial attack 
squad. It is standard with fires like these to basically put them out completely before leaving... making certain that the fire will not escape or grow. They will then be checked a day or two later to call them out. Unlike big timber fires where crews camp out for 24 hours beyond the last smoke to be able to call the fire out, never to visit the site again... our fires are often left unnattended in a safe, calculated manner... this allows the fire crew to bounce to the next start and assist in putting it out. This is really important as it is not out of the ordinary to have dozens if not hundreds of starts due to one lightning storm sweeping through Color Country.
The small fires are where Zion Helitack shines... typically able to handle fires from a single tree to about an acre without the support of other crews. Beyond an acre (and depending on the complexity even under an acre) the helitack crew often falls into a support role. Providing supervision, Incident Command, arial observation, squads to support handcrews or engines, and logistical needs... and of course bucket support from the helicopter. This happens with at least half of the fires that Zion Helitack has responded to in the past several years. Like the Baboon Fire of 2006. As the pictures here show, the fire was in sage and cheat grass with the occassional pinion/juniper. It was a fast moving fire that threatened a
communications site and the natural gas pipeline... strategy with this fire was to back off to a defendable area and burn out. We picked the pipeline road and with the support of several engines and the fuels crew out of Cedar City, we started a fast moving burnout which stopped the fire at the pipelines edge. It was the first hour or two of initial attack that we do this job for... adrenaline pumping and torch in hand we set out to strategically beat the monster that is fire. We don't always win... but this day was a good day!
Some fires get way too big for us to do anything other than back off and set up a logistical support for those on the fireline. This is the part of Helitack that most people make jokes about, and frankly it is when the Helitack crew is most observable. We tend to go... go... go... and when all is ready we sit! In my opinion this is some of the most frustrating time for Helitackers... we are often miles away from the fire watching it crank into the sky, wishing we were on that engine or supporting the handcrews that are battling the blaze. I would imagine every Helicopter Crewmember asked would say there is a level of anxiety that accompanies sitting at the Helibase. Color Country is prime territory for large fast moving fires... we spend a good 25% of our time
supporting large fires in Color Country. It is not what we are best suited for, but it is essential that we are efficient at offering the logistical support needed. It is managements policy to leave only the bare minimum number of crewmembers at the Helibase, whenever possible sending the majority of the crew to the line to support the suppression efforts.Fire couldn't be much better than it is in Color Country. That is not to say we don't lack in certain types of fuels and fires that are also very fun (i.e. big timber fires are not the norm, however do happen occasionally). Our elevation of concern ranges from approximately 1,500' up to 10,000'. Most fires happening in the 3,000' to 7,000' range.... this puts our primary vegatation of concern in the high desert... cheat grass, sagebrush, pinion/juniper, mahogany, oak brush, manzineta, etc... fast moving fires that are typically controlled within 24 - 48 hours....
Until the next one, Cheers.
Search & Rescue
Yes, Zion Helitack is on occasion involved in SAR within the park. SAR is not our primary mission. We are funded out of Fire dollars, making fire our primary responsibility. We rarely, however, are pulled off of a SAR to do Initial Attack. When we do SAR missions it is only within the parks that we typically are called. This isn't an absolute... in early 2006 while leaving the Pretty Tree RX near Escalante traveling to a fire near St. George... we were diverted while in route to a possible drowning of a young child on the Sevier river. This is a rare case as we do not have accounting codes and operational agreements set up with the counties or state for such emergencies...
Over the years Zion Helitack has been called in for a variety of reasons. Sometimes to support in finding a body (i.e. some of the falls from the top of Angels Landing), or to support inserting SAR team members. We have delivered needed survival equipment to those in need, when we know the SAR team is going to have an extended amount of time trying to rescue individuals.
One of my favorite SAR's that we supported was in 2005. The Telephone Canyon SAR was a combined effort of Zion Helitack and the SAR Team to reach and rescue a young gentleman that had fallen during the second rappel into Telephone Canyon (due to inappropriate training and gear). The Helitack crew played a vital role in not only getting the SAR members to location, but also in helping with the technical rope rescue that took nearly 5 hours to complete start to finish. The pack out to the helicopter was not a long one, but took the efforts of all present to accomplish. My hat is off to the SAR members that train hard to be some of the finest technical rescue engineers in the country. It is truely mind boggling to see what these men & women do with a set of ropes in a very tight situation.
I remember very vividly the rescue that Zion Helitack made happen in 2006... one that I myself would probably never do again. The report came in that a woman was trapped along the Narrows Canyon trail. This is a rather long trail, nearly 16 miles start to finish, that winds through a canyon that is often tight and hikers spend most of their time in the water.... This lady had no business doing the hike. When we came to find her, she was wearing innappropriate apparel and frankly wasn't in the type of shape that was conducive to the task. It was thought that perhaps she was having heart problems, this made getting her out very critical. We flew the helicopter to the bottom of the narrows and landed on a rocky shore along the river. The decent was over 1,000 feet into a canyon that was less than a football field wide. I was nervous the entire way down... It was perhaps a rash decision to fly into the canyon putting even more people at risk. In the end we pulled the lady out of the canyon and flew her to the ambulance waiting at Watchman helispot... her end diagnosis... some heartbearn/stomach problems that manifest much like a heart attack....
One of the most dramatic rescues involved the Rescue Team from Nellis Air Force Base, Rescue 61. It is a Pavehawk (the air force version of the blackhawk). Rescue 61 was doing routine training when we contacted Nellis to see if they would be available to do an Infrared Flight for us. The missing gentleman was nearly 48 hours overdue and we had exhausted a lot of man hours and helicopter time trying to search for him. He was believed to be missing near the Subway, and being an elderly man made it much more imperitive to find him quickly.
Rescue 61 arrive with a full compliment, including a senior officer that was on the training mission to observe their skills. Boy was he in for a treat, what better training than an actual mission. Along with the senior officer, two pilots, a crew chief... were the 4 members of the Para-Rescue Squad... these guys are incredible... When they stepped off the helicopter it was like a scene from the movies. They had more gear and gadgets attached to their bodies than I thought would be comfortable to carry. After doing a complete fuel cycle looking for the lost party during the day, Rescue 61 left for St. George to refuel and grab a quick bite to eat while they waited for dark (conditions needed for a FLIR flight). Most of the SAR team had called it a night when I overheard Rescue 61 arive on scene again. I had packed up and was ten minutes out of the helibase when the communication came over the radio... "Zion Dispatch, Rescue 61" "Rescue 61 this is Zion Dispatch go ahead". "Zion Rescue 61 has arrived over the scene and we are picking up a light with our night vision, do you have any rescuers out at this time?" "Rescue 61 that is a negative, all rescue personnel are in for the night" there was a brief pause then this transmission broke the silence... a very thick silence as everyone listened on the edge of their seats. "Zion Dispatch, Rescue 61 has located the missing party. 
Permission to extract subject off the hill". I immediately spun the truck around and headed back to the Helibase to set up for recieving the injured party. Rescue 61 performed a hoist extraction by sending one of the Para-Rescue squad members down on the hoist. He fastened a harness to the gentleman and together they were hoisted into the helicopter. This is amazing in that the pilots were working with Night Vision Goggles (NVG) in a canyon terrain... heroic! The gentleman had been missing for over 48 hours. He was dehydrated, had a dislocated shoulder, and had survived by drinking his own urine... and knowing that helicopters were in the area and looking for him... It was an amazing rescue that I will never forget.
So yes... Zion Helitack does get involved in a rescue or two here and there... although it is not a primary function of the crew, it is one that we train and look forward to performing...
Until the next exciting rescue... Cheers,
Over the years Zion Helitack has been called in for a variety of reasons. Sometimes to support in finding a body (i.e. some of the falls from the top of Angels Landing), or to support inserting SAR team members. We have delivered needed survival equipment to those in need, when we know the SAR team is going to have an extended amount of time trying to rescue individuals.
One of my favorite SAR's that we supported was in 2005. The Telephone Canyon SAR was a combined effort of Zion Helitack and the SAR Team to reach and rescue a young gentleman that had fallen during the second rappel into Telephone Canyon (due to inappropriate training and gear). The Helitack crew played a vital role in not only getting the SAR members to location, but also in helping with the technical rope rescue that took nearly 5 hours to complete start to finish. The pack out to the helicopter was not a long one, but took the efforts of all present to accomplish. My hat is off to the SAR members that train hard to be some of the finest technical rescue engineers in the country. It is truely mind boggling to see what these men & women do with a set of ropes in a very tight situation.I remember very vividly the rescue that Zion Helitack made happen in 2006... one that I myself would probably never do again. The report came in that a woman was trapped along the Narrows Canyon trail. This is a rather long trail, nearly 16 miles start to finish, that winds through a canyon that is often tight and hikers spend most of their time in the water.... This lady had no business doing the hike. When we came to find her, she was wearing innappropriate apparel and frankly wasn't in the type of shape that was conducive to the task. It was thought that perhaps she was having heart problems, this made getting her out very critical. We flew the helicopter to the bottom of the narrows and landed on a rocky shore along the river. The decent was over 1,000 feet into a canyon that was less than a football field wide. I was nervous the entire way down... It was perhaps a rash decision to fly into the canyon putting even more people at risk. In the end we pulled the lady out of the canyon and flew her to the ambulance waiting at Watchman helispot... her end diagnosis... some heartbearn/stomach problems that manifest much like a heart attack....
One of the most dramatic rescues involved the Rescue Team from Nellis Air Force Base, Rescue 61. It is a Pavehawk (the air force version of the blackhawk). Rescue 61 was doing routine training when we contacted Nellis to see if they would be available to do an Infrared Flight for us. The missing gentleman was nearly 48 hours overdue and we had exhausted a lot of man hours and helicopter time trying to search for him. He was believed to be missing near the Subway, and being an elderly man made it much more imperitive to find him quickly.
Rescue 61 arrive with a full compliment, including a senior officer that was on the training mission to observe their skills. Boy was he in for a treat, what better training than an actual mission. Along with the senior officer, two pilots, a crew chief... were the 4 members of the Para-Rescue Squad... these guys are incredible... When they stepped off the helicopter it was like a scene from the movies. They had more gear and gadgets attached to their bodies than I thought would be comfortable to carry. After doing a complete fuel cycle looking for the lost party during the day, Rescue 61 left for St. George to refuel and grab a quick bite to eat while they waited for dark (conditions needed for a FLIR flight). Most of the SAR team had called it a night when I overheard Rescue 61 arive on scene again. I had packed up and was ten minutes out of the helibase when the communication came over the radio... "Zion Dispatch, Rescue 61" "Rescue 61 this is Zion Dispatch go ahead". "Zion Rescue 61 has arrived over the scene and we are picking up a light with our night vision, do you have any rescuers out at this time?" "Rescue 61 that is a negative, all rescue personnel are in for the night" there was a brief pause then this transmission broke the silence... a very thick silence as everyone listened on the edge of their seats. "Zion Dispatch, Rescue 61 has located the missing party. 
Permission to extract subject off the hill". I immediately spun the truck around and headed back to the Helibase to set up for recieving the injured party. Rescue 61 performed a hoist extraction by sending one of the Para-Rescue squad members down on the hoist. He fastened a harness to the gentleman and together they were hoisted into the helicopter. This is amazing in that the pilots were working with Night Vision Goggles (NVG) in a canyon terrain... heroic! The gentleman had been missing for over 48 hours. He was dehydrated, had a dislocated shoulder, and had survived by drinking his own urine... and knowing that helicopters were in the area and looking for him... It was an amazing rescue that I will never forget.So yes... Zion Helitack does get involved in a rescue or two here and there... although it is not a primary function of the crew, it is one that we train and look forward to performing...
Until the next exciting rescue... Cheers,
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Who Manages the Managers?
Zion Helitack currently has 4 management positions... Michael is the Helitack Supervisor. He has been at Zion for three seasons, and seems to love it. A pretty laid back management style, allowing the crew to explore their own capabilities. This doesn't mean that he doesn't expect a lot from the crew. He tries to always give them the guidance needed and understanding of what the finished project looks like... He is fairly easy to approach and rarely loses his cool concerning anything. A bit of a perfectionist... but he doesn't expect any more from the crew than what he is willing to do himself...
Alicia is Michael's assistant... it has been said that she is the "Ying" of the "Yang" concerning the bosses management style. Alicia is all about structure and organization on the crew. She has a proud history with the military, which helps her to manage the crew in a well organized and disciplined way. Alicia was involved in a helicopter crash a little over two years ago, and has suffered a long road to recovery... She is looking forward to a final procedure being accomplished in the next month which will optimally put her back to normal and able to do and operate with the crew as she did before the accident. Alicia is also a qualified Park Paramedic, and runs our medical 1st responder training and annual refreshers concerning medical musts for the crew.Curtis is the Career Seasonal Lead Crewmember. He has been with Zion Helitack longer than most of the crew. He spent many
years as a Hotshot Crewmember before seeing that there was a lack of oportunities for advancement. He branched out into aviation and has been there ever since. Curtis is a lot of fun to be around. He is constantly enjoying life... one look at his "vagabond" truck will tell you that he loves the outdoors and has many hobies... (kayaking, skiing, mountain climbing, biking... you name it) Curtis spent last season working on a detail with Sequoa Helitack (Peppermint)... he rappelled with their crew to gain vital skills and complete his Helicopter Manager PTB, in return their crew gain a very experience and entertaining (detailed) lead.Iceman... Ice is our Seasonal Lead Crewmember. This is a position that we hope to turn into a Career Seasonal, but for now it is beneficial for all to have Ice as a willing
seasonal in the lead role. He has been with Zion longer than any other crewmember and like Curtis brings a great level of experience to his position. Ice has been fighting fire for a lot of years, running crews, jumping, rappelling,... you name it. Ice knows when it is time to get the job done, and when it is time for a siesta (or as Ice would say, "time to take a natural"). Once you've met Ice, you'll never forget him... He leaves an awesome impression on all who chance to meet him!Well, thats a little introduction to Zion Helitack Management... maybe not all that exciting... but then you may not have met them yet!
Cheers,
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
