The Alaska Mountain Rescue Group held its first outdoor training exercise of the year Saturday at the Upper Huffman Trailhead. About 20 volunteers worked on a mock search-and-rescue mission.
"We are training our management team and we are training our field searchers, " AMRG Agency Representative Bill Romberg said.
A combination of rookies and veterans worked on a scenario that involved two bikers crashing after they were startled by a brown bear. According to Romberg, fall and spring are the busiest times of the year for the group.
"Depending on the season, we have different types of missions going on," Romberg said. "We are getting into winter soon and into avalanche season. but a lot of hunters are out now."
The Alaska State Troopers call the group to assist in search-and-rescue operations in Southcentral Alaska.
"We are on call for the troopers 24/7, 365 days out of the year, they've come to expect that we will bring trained search-and-rescue folks," Romberg said.
Training opportunities like Saturday's event allow volunteers to brush up on their navigation, medical and communication skills. Group members are well versed in backcountry survival, and usually have some type of technical training like rock climbing or skiing.
According to troopers, the group assists in about 50 rescues a year.
Contact Jackie Bartz at jbartz@ktuu.com
