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By: Aaron Beardmore
No matter what sport or activity they partake in, at some
point in time backcountry users in Mountain National Parks
may find themselves in need of assistance from a professional
rescue team. Whether a twisted ankle on a trail, or a bad
fall on a rock climb, knowing a few simple procedures will
get the patient the highest standard of medical care as soon
as possible. Also, correctly signalling to rescuers is an
important new concept that will mitigate confusion at times
when one’s emotional and mental faculties are overloaded.
What the rescue service strives to provide is a service that
extracts a person from the backcountry and delivers him or
her to a higher level of medical care as safely and as efficiently
as possible. Patient comfort is a high priority, but more
important is reducing the amount of time that a victim has
to spend in the backcountry. This increases the chance of
preserving their well being. Knowing how to properly report
an incident and signal to rescuers saves valuable time.
The following instructions and information pertain to Banff,
Yoho and Kootenay National Parks.
Sending the Message
If you find yourself in need of a rescue, the best thing
to do, if possible, is to call Parks Canada. If you have a
satellite phone, in Banff, Yoho or Kootenay National Park
call 403 762 4506. This number will connect you to the 24-hour
Banff Park Dispatch Centre. If calling from a pay or cell
phone, use 911 or 403-762-4506. If you call 911, make sure
to tell the dispatcher that you have a mountain emergency
in the national parks and need the assistance for the Park
Rescue Service. The 911 dispatcher should then transfer you
to the Banff Park Dispatch Center. If you do not specifically
indicate to the 911 dispatcher that you need the Park Rescue
Service, you may get a fire truck to the trailhead of your
three-day climbing trip, and chances are the crane won’t reach
you.
Once you are connected with Banff Dispatch, they will need
a small parcel of information that will help them locate,
stabilize, and evacuate the
injured person.
• Where is the exact location of your emergency?
• What is the nature of your accident or emergency, including
number of victims and seriousness and types of injuries?
• Who is calling and what is your call back number?
• When did the accident happen?
With this information, the Rescue Leader (RL) will have a
good idea of how to implement the rescue. If calling is not
an option, you will have to do it the old-fashioned way and
send a runner from the scene of the accident.
After the initial information is collected from the dispatcher,
you will be transferred directly to the RL. The RL is highly
trained in rescue techniques and a fully certified mountain
guide. They will ask more pointed questions if the situation
calls for it.
Keep in mind that when the dispatcher transfers the call
to the RL, the RL is informed of the situation, and a helicopter
is called and the rescue team is notified at that time—the
ball is already rolling when the caller is put in contact
with the RL.
When speaking with dispatch or with a Rescue Leader remain
calm, and think before speaking. Also, only provide answers
to questions that are asked. Both dispatchers and RLs have
to process a lot of information, so try to avoid a verbal
bombardment. They will always finish a conversation with,
“Is there anything else I should know?” This is your opportunity
to speak freely, and fill in any blanks. That is why it is
important to keep the information parcel short, concise, and
to the point. Quite often dispatch and RLs get third-hand
information, and if everyone involved follows a standard way
of communicating this information, less of it is lost as it
makes its way from person to person.
Body Language
(For correct body positioning, please see emergency pamphlet)
From the ground, the correct way to signal to an approaching
rescue helicopter is:
Make a “Y” with your arms to signal: YES, come and get me;
I need a rescue; Help; etc.
Make an “N” with your arms to signal: NO, go away; I do not
need help; Everything is fine; etc.
By performing one or the other you will make your situation
very clear.
When Signalling:
• Remain still
• Remain in position
• Do not wave
When the rescue team physically arrives at your location,
do not reach out; instead, stay where you are and let them
make the decisions needed to evacuate the patient. In steep
terrain, reaching out to rescuers could cause problems if,
at the last minute, the pilot has to pull away from the rescue
site. Let the rescuers come to you.
From here on, try to be as cooperative as possible. You may
be expected to participate in some techniques that you are
not entirely familiar with, like heli-slinging. Keep in mind
that the rescuers are professionals and train in the use of
these techniques on a regular basis. Have confidence in their
ability to get you off of the mountain and out of the backcountry.
The concept of signalling to rescue helicopters is new in
North America. A number of incidents this past summer indicated
that Parks Canada needed to establish a form of non-verbal
communication that would decrease confusion in mountain rescue.
We looked to Europe, and its many alpine nations, to see how
they coped with these situations. The European signalling
concept is universal across their continent, and Parks Canada
has adopted this as its own.
Rescues are very expensive, mostly because of the extensive
use of helicopters; however, costs are recovered from park
user fees, and park passes. Make sure you have a park pass
that can be purchased at any park information center. Having
one of these will act as your rescue insurance within the
National Parks.
Overall, the Park Rescue Service always hopes that people
have the capacity to be able to self-rescue, or, more importantly,
to make safe decisions in the backcountry that avoid accidents
in the first place. What is worth more than anything else
is experience in your chosen activity. There is an abundance
of information out there that can help you to make safe decisions.
Get educated through courses, use common sense, and don’t
bite off more than you can chew. Most importantly get out
there and enjoy the mountains!
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