See you out there.

Boots and Blisters

by Tom Russo

Thanks to everyone who came out to June's litter handling training. We had 27 attendees, which is the the best attendance of any litter training I can remember. I wish I could say it was the best litter training I could remember, but we can't have everything. We did get to practice tie-ins, but during the litter transport the weather decided to get wet on us and we had to bug out. We also didn't get to do the low-angle practice we'd planned, although a few of us stayed on after the rain left and rigged a Z system and belay. Since we missed the opportunity to practice this skill as a group, I'll make sure that we have the litter, wheel, ropes and pulleys available at the 6:30 pre-meeting time in July so we can practice setting up low-angle raises and lowers in the parking lot.

Kudos to Mike Dugger, Don O. Gibson, Ryan Jackson, Larry Mervine and Nancy O'Neill for being the only members to have attended every single training that was offered this year.

On 21-22 August there will be a "hamfest" at the Rio Rancho National Guard Armory. There will be a testing session at the hamfest on 21 August at 1 p.m., so those interested in taking their first Ham exam or upgrading their current ticket will have the opportunity. Contact me if you wish to start studying or need a nudge or two on some of the material. I'm studying for an upgrade right now, and most of the material is becoming fresh enough in my mind that I might be able to help.

For those who have been asleep for the last month or so: I am still working on arranging a Wilderness First Aid class for the later part of this year. Wilderness Medical Institute has gotten back to me regarding the dates when their New Mexico staff are available to teach. I've announced it on the voicemail and email and through the phone tree, and announce this at the meeting, but it bears repeating once more: the available dates are 2-3 October, 30-31 October, and 4-5 November. So far the people who have expressed a preference for 30-31 plus the people expressing "anytime in October" and the people saying "anytime at all" outweigh those expressing preference for the other dates. But I've only heard from ten people, so that's still up in the air. Please let me know what your preference is immediately, as we will need 15 people firmly committed to showing up on the chosen dates. I want to reserve the date within a week of our July meeting. We have discussed in meetings how to share the cost of this training between members and the team, but not voted on anything. To host the training costs $80 per person plus food, travel and lodging for two instructors. I'm expecting that each member will need to kick in at least $30, possibly more, in order to keep the team's share within a reasonable budget. The class can be opened up to nonmembers (who would, of course, have to pay the full $80 plus a share of the other expenses) if we have fewer than the maximum of 30 people signed up.

READ THIS....Now that I've got your attention, please read on. The forms you submit to me for fuel and oil reimbursement have really improved, but I still get some that are filled out wrong. Next time you look at an invoice form, notice each piece of information you are asked for on the form. I need that same information written on the front of your receipt. As I've said before, I must separate all of these and reassemble them on the form I submit to the state. The state checks every receipt for name, mission date, mission number, etc. If you don't write it on there, I have to do it. I've never made a point of asking for the amount of fuel on the receipt, but please include that too. The state's form asks for the quantity of fuel and oil. If you don't tell me, I have to estimate, which takes time. If I spend too much time on this, I might get tired. If I get tired, I might lose your receipt. That would be a shame.

Who's Who and New

by Susan Corban

Welcome to Brian Lematta and Chris Murray. These new members have had orientations, so you'll be seeing them on missions.

Gearing Up

by Mike Dugger

At our last litter training, a (very) few of us took the opportunity to play with some of the low-angle gear we keep in our cache. Even though we didn't spend a lot of time at it, we learned a couple of important lessons.

First, the prussics that have been in our cache for the past two years did not grab the 11 mm ropes very well when on a belay or a Z-system. Upon some experimentation at home, I discovered that this was because the prussic rope we've been using was 9 mm. This does not flex as easily as 8 mm, and hence does not tighten up well under load. Relative prussic length is also very important in a system that should set automatically. I made a bunch of prussics from 8 mm cord that we can try out at our next low-angle practice.

Second, the 11 mm rope we carry for haul lines was intended to do double duty as anchors when needed. We found that none of our lines were long enough to construct a proper "wrap 3 pull 2" anchor around a large but not unreasonable BFR (immobile attachment point). So...I retired one of our 200 foot ropes that had seen some heavy use and cut it into some anchors of various length. We can try these at our next practice, too. We can keep using the fuzzy old ropes of unknown age for haul and brake lines on the litter, since it will always be under close control by the litter tenders anyway.

Public Relations

by David Dixon

We are half way through the year and our 1999 Recruitment drive is moving along very well. There are always a number of new faces at meetings. Has someone shown an interest in Cibola to you and you'd like to be able to give them something? Members should all have orange business cards you could use. The PR Committee also has orange bookmarks giving our website and meeting time and place, with the 10 essentials on the other side. This is perfect to give to an interested prospective member. I even have some laminated if you ask me nicely. I hope to also have our revamped brochure ready soon. See me for PR items at meetings (except this month!).

I did an Outdoor Presentation to a group of "kids" from five to eighty years old at the South Valley Library recently. Although none left having perfected map and compass, maybe we won't be looking for any of them in the future.

On July 24-25 we are giving a Fireside Chat on Outdoor Preparedness in the evening and hosting the weekly Hike the next morning for Albuquerque Open Space. Maybe we'll demonstrate some map and compass skills that we covered in the chat the night before. Both the Fireside Chat and Hike are at Elena Gallegos picnic ground. We certainly are being heard from around town.

PR Committee is meeting this month on the 3rd Thursday (July 22) instead of the usual last, same place and time. Check the newsletter calendar for this and other PR events. Melissa Smith is in the spotlight this month. Melissa's been a member of Cibola since the end of 1994 and an officer for three of those almost five years. She joined Cibola Search and Rescue immediately upon arriving in NM after beginning the process of joining in Los Angeles where it required a written test, an oral test, a physical test, a lie detector test, and then 14 weeks in the sheriff's academy before becoming eligible, but not guaranteed, to be picked up as a volunteer in the search and rescue unit. Luckily, they moved before completing the entire process.

Melissa's a CPA and currently the mother of two boys, the oldest (almost 4) of whom you may have occassionally seen at a training. He believes that he too is in search and rescue. Before children, Melissa was an avid cyclist, hiker (and rock climber whenever possible), ran a couple of marathons and was very active in triathlon. Since becoming a Mom, she's done a couple of triathlons, been part of a team for the Grants quadrathlon, and, of course, hike whenever possible. Melissa loves being active in the outdoors and plans to raise her kids to be the same.

Paul Donovan is 35 years old and is an instructor navigator and program manager at the 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland AFB. He's happily married to a wonderful woman, Molly, and has two boys. Brian and Matt are five and three years old. He's anxiously awaiting the day the boys are big enough to go on longer hikes with Dad. Paul is a member of the New Mexico Mountain Club and enjoys climbing, hiking, skiiing, and mountain biking. Paul is originally from Massachusetts. Back where there's ice in winter, Paul was a hockey player. Also in Paul's past life (before the military) he was a civil engineer and land surveyor.

Web News

by Tom Russo

Only one new thing at the website this month: you can now check your 6-month training history at a glance on the training database page.
The team website can be accessed at http://www.cibolasar.org/

Disclaimer and Copyright notice

the Editors

The contents of this newsletter are copyright © 1999 by their respective authors or by Cibola Search and Rescue, Inc., and individual articles represent the opinions of the author. Cibola SAR makes no representation, express or implied, with regard to the accuracy of the information contained in these articles, and cannot accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions that may be made. Articles contained in this newsletter may be reproduced, with attribution given to Cibola SAR and the author, by any member of the Search and Rescue community for use in other team's publications.