HFRS Recert with Blackcomb Helicopters

NSR HFRS members participated in a "recert" with Blackcomb Helicopters in preparation for the Olympics. This satisfies the legal requirement with Transport Canada that NSR personnel must train annually with all their helicopter charter providers. It also gave members a chance to familiarize themselves with the pilots and with the aircraft that we will be utilizing during the Olympic Games period. Talon Helicopters was and will continue to be our primary helicopter provider before and after the Olympics. Blackcomb Helicopters won a PEP contract to provide a standby rescue helicopter during the games, and as part of that contract, the government has provided NSR/SAR with number of flight hours to be used for training, familiarization and orientation to the North Shore terrain.

Included in this exercise where: NSR HFRS technicians, NSR HFRS aware members, CARDA handlers and their dogs. The recert included the following components:

• Operational briefing
• Introductions (pilots and aircrew)
• Dryland rigging of helicopter
• 150 foot longline insertions to mountain gulley (in tandem and with CARDA dogs)
• 200 foot longline insertions to mountain gulley (in tandem)
• 200 foot rescue basket extraction from river bank
• Debrief, cleanup and paperwork

Overall a good experience for all members that were involved. Having regular exercises such as these keep all our skills honed and at the ready to render aid to the public.

For pictures of this training exercise check out our Flickr Page or Facebook Page.

2010 HFRS Training Exercise

North Shore Rescue HFRS technicians were joined by their fellow members as well as members from the Canadian Forces, RCMP/ISU, WVPD, Coquitlam SAR, Lions Bay SAR and the Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association (CARDA) in a training exercise Sunday. HFRS techs honed their skills inserting and extracting personnel into steep terrain, requiring transfering members from the long-line to a anchored tether on the ground. This operation was run out of the Capilano Watershed and the insertion/extraction point was on the front side of Grouse Mountain near the BCMC.

This training exercise involved two machines from Talon Helicopters. The AS350 B2 (C-FTHY) flown by Derek Riendeau and the AS355 flown by owner Peter Murray. Helicopters flew members into and out of the site in an alternating pattern, communicating tactically via a simplex frequency to coordinate the movement of personnel. The key idea behind this exercise involved the need to be able to put many members on the ground quickly were light or weather could be a limiting factor on the rescue outcome. By having the ability to put a lot of manpower on the ground quickly, NSR can respond to calls more safely and increase the liklihood of a positive outcome.

Members also practiced extractions from terrain utilizing a rescue basket, suspended from the long line. This device is primarily designed for river/water rescue, however, it's application for mountain rescue is indispensible. If faced with a dangerous terrain or limited time, a stranded climber could be directed into the basket and flown a short distance to safety.

Check out more pictures of this exercise on the NSR Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/northshorerescue

Helicopter Flight Rescue System Exercise 2009

North Shore Rescue members, HFRS technicians, and kayak response team members gathered along with BC Parks rangers on Sunday for our annual recurrency, HFRS awareness and lead-up to a large scale January excercise on Grouse Mountain. The day consisted of a briefing in the morning, followed by in and out rescue evolutions utlizing "screamer suits" for rapid deployment. In the afternoon, members practiced with the river rescue basket by doing short-haul and in-out trips.

Although the weather was far from cooperative, conditions did permit for the large majority of the training/recurrency/lead-up to go ahead.

Overall a busy weekend for rescue volunteers; with hover entry/exit training on Saturday, and Helicopter Flight Rescue System training on Sunday. This level of dedication keeps us ready to respond to a call, and allows us to best serve the public interest. Although these training sessions are of a significant cost to the NSR society, the safety and performance results are without a price tag.

One of the key features of this exercise is the demonstrable need for a non-military rescue helicopter to be made available during the Olympics for "outside the fence" calls. NSR has a strong relationship with Talon Helicopters, who have both the right aircraft (small, powerful aircraft capable of safely entering tight terrain) and the expertise (flying ability, terrain knowledge, and invaluable familiarity with local SAR teams) to perform safe, efficient and life-saving operations that may otherwise be unavailable during the 2010 winter games. It is hoped that the provincial government will provide a standby civilian helicopter for local SAR teams during the event.

North Shore News Article on Sunday Rescue

North Shore News has written a more complete story on the rescue on Sunday -

http://www2.canada.com/northshorenews/news/story.html?id=0aae43e4-d8f2-4983-bde2-de52a8c8443b

Lions Rescue

Yesterday we were called out for a rescue on The Lions for an injured climber.

CTV News Story with camera footage -

http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090805/BC_hiker_falls_lions_090805/20090805/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

North Shore Outlook Article -
http://www.bclocalnews.com/greater_vancouver/northshoreoutlook/news/52600717.html

Mutual Aid to Coquitlam

Posting this one a bit late...its been a busy week.

June 28 2009 NSR HFRS Team Busy Again

A 3 man NSR HFRS Team responded in Talon Helicopters to provide mutual aid assistance to Coquitlam SAR and Coquitlam Fire Rescue for an injured ATV rider near Burke Mountain. Coquitlam SAR and Fire personnel accessed the subject on a steep section of the powerline trail, treated him for his injuries before moving him away from the power lines so as to allow 2 members of the NSR HFRS team to be safely inserted and the subject extracted via long lone rescue. The subject was turned over to BCAS Paramedics. Great Call and Coordination!!!!

Posted on behalf of Tim Jones.

Saturday Tasks

Saturday morning we were paged out for a 14 year old male who had a fractured ankle near Granite Falls up Indian Arm.

The HFRS team was scrambled and NSR was on scene quickly via Talon Helicopters. BC Parks was also on scene as they were already in the area.





The subject received first aid from BC Parks, and was then extricated via HFRS and flown back to our Bone Creek SAR Station where he was handed over to BCAS.


Shortly after we were notified of an another rescue on Cypress. NSR flew to Cypress and quickly picked up the injured hiker/snowboarder and handed him over the BCAS at the Cypress Parking lot. The photos are from the first rescue up Indian Arm (Photo Credit Rob Wilson).

Succession Plan

NS Outlook article discussing HFRS and NSR's succession plan by Kelly McManus -

http://www.bclocalnews.com/greater_vancouver/northshoreoutlook/news/43111137.html

Medical Rescue on Grouse

Yesterday evening we received a page for an injured skiier on Grouse Mountain.

We responded to Capilano Gate SAR Station and launched an HFRS operation in an attempt to quickly extract the subject before dark. Unfortunately the subject was in a heavily treed gully and HFRS was not possible. However, two members were inserted via HFRS and accessed him quickly.

Concurrently members were descending from the base of the Cut on Grouse and arrived at the subject not long after with a Cascade Strecher.

A conventional rope rescue operation was launched, and our Rope Rescue kit was brought down to the subject along with two 300 foot ropes. Coquitlam SAR and Lions Bay SAR were also brought in to help.

The subject was packaged and brought out to the base of the Eagle Chair using 3 to 1 pulley systems, counter balance and direct pulling. It was quite exhausting for all involved, but we managed to get the subject to the base of the chair by midnight.


The reason for the call was that the subject, a male in his 30's, went out of bounds at the base of the Cut and skiied down the old chairlift line. He veered off to the right into a gully, descended a few hundred feet, hit a tree and broke his leg. The subject stated he had consumed a number of alchoholic drinks and some mild sedatives either prior to or after the accident. This appeared to be a factor in this accident, as well as creating a situation where it was very difficult to understand the subject over the cell phone.

We were able to get a helicopter up to pin point his location, otherwise it would have been very difficult to locate him. His description of where he was put him in a drainage further to the East.

Special thanks to Grouse Resorts, Metro Vancouver, Coquitlam SAR, and Lions Bay SAR for providing fantastic operational support and man power.

Missing Snowboarder Found Alive After 4 Days Lost on Mt. Seymour

James William Martin went snowboarding at Mt. Seymour on Sunday and had not been seen since. Word just came over the radio that he has been found alive and is being long lined to safety using the Helicopter Flight Rescue System (HFRS).

Read more on CTV

Helicopter Flight Rescue System (HFRS) Training

Helicopter Flight Rescue System (HFRS) Training - Sunday January 27th, 2008

On Sunday January 27th, 2008 North Shore Rescue team members participated in a skills workshop practicing pickoffs from steep snow slopes using HFRS. Team members arrived at Mount Seymour parking lot at 0800 and headed to the preselected exercise location. Upon arrival, NSR members put crampons on their boots and descended the 45 degree slope on ropes. The drill required the members on ropes, to dig a platform into the snow, from which a patient could be packaged, and a HFRS rescuer could land and remove the patient with the Aerial Rescue Platform. This was done by two teams of three, overseen by the technical instructors on site, Dave Sulina and Stan Sovdat.

When the platforms were completed, members placed a separate anchor for which the HFRS rescuer would anchor into upon landing. The purpose of this was to provide an independent attachment, should the helicopter be lifted by an updraft causing the rescuer to come up. In this situation rather than pulling everyones anchor, it would only affect the rescuer who is safely attached to the master attach point (map) of the helicopter long line.

Upon completing these tasks, members waited for the other portion of the exercise to get underway. The helicopter flown by Peter Murray of Talon Helicopters arrived at NSR Bone Creek helispot facility where the HFRS coordinator in training boarded the aircraft and flew to the training site to assess the weather and location. With variable weather, and the time frame of a skills workshop, the HFRS coordinator in training made the call to scrap the HFRS portion of the exercise. Overall the exercise was a tremendous success, with NSR members practicing essential skills, and the HFRS coordinator in training being given the opportunity to make a risk assessment call, which was the correct one.