FLATHEAD COUNTY SEARCH & RESCUE ASSOCIATION
Leaving Dinners Half Eaten Since 1947
BY HILLARY SMITH
Flathead Living Magazine

It started out with a phone call from then- Sheriff Dick Walsh. A boy was missing, and the sheriff needed help. Volunteers from the community responded and afterward were asked to leave their phone numbers in case they were needed again. They were. From that informal beginning, Flathead County Search and Rescue (FCSAR) was born, and dedicated volunteers from the community have been responding ever since. Operated under the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, FCSAR is formed of highly skilled and motivated members and offers the valley specialized search teams to answer the call – whether it be in water, in ice, on snow, over a cliff, or in the forest.

One of the first rescue associations in the nation to offer mounted, air and water resources, FCSAR was originally known as The Flathead Lifesaving and Rescue Association. Incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1947, the association’s general purpose and plan was to aid and assist in the saving of life and the recovery and preservation of property in Flathead County. Rescue units were located in Kalispell (headquarters), Columbia Falls, Whitefish, Hungry Horse, Bigfork, Somers, Lakeside, and West Glacier. More than six decades later, the plan remains the same. Volunteers respond at all hours in all conditions to reports of endangered property and people in distress.

One such call to make the news was in March of last year, when two teens were lost in the snowy terrain of the Jewel Basin. A perfect example of teamwork, members from not only Flathead County Search and Rescue, but also Nordic Ski Patrol and North Valley Search and Rescue responded to what would be a three-day search. With large flakes falling hard and fast, search teams combed the hillsides and drainages in an effort to locate the boys. Although only a handful of the rescuers working the mission got to see the boys once they were found, the satisfaction in the ability to return them safely to their families was shared by all.

Occasionally, rescue missions turn into recovery operations, and it is with professionalism and focus that FCSAR responds. This past July, a 21-year-old Kalispell man was reported missing by the friends with whom he had gone fishing on the South Fork of the Flathead River. A week-long recovery effort ensued, again involving an interagency team consisting of FCSAR, North Valley Search and Rescue, the Flathead County Dive Team and ALERT. Working together, the responders were able to recover the young man’s body in an effort to bring closure for the family.

Events such as this recovery further instill Flathead County Search and Rescue’s belief that the best search and rescue is preventative search and rescue, accomplished through education. The organization addresses this need by participating in safety expos and public presentations, as well as reaching out to children through specialized programs.

IT IS FLATHEAD COUNTY SEARCH AND RESCUE’S BELIEF THAT THE BEST SEARCH AND RESCUE IS PREVENTATIVE SEARCH AND RESCUE, ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH EDUCATION.

The most active members of FCSAR in this area are the volunteers who comprise the Canine Team, which offers Doggie Detectives and Powder Hounds educational programs for kids of all ages. Children and adults alike are taught what to do if they find they are lost, and what supplies to carry with them in the event they get into trouble. Thus far, the Canine Team has educated hundreds of locals and visitors through these programs, as well as through preventative FCSAR presentations at local schools. According to the Canine Team, if only one child remembers what to do in a time of trouble, then all the preparation, presentation and follow-up will have been worth it.

Powder Hounds will again be offered on Big Mountain this winter, with the kickoff being December 31 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. Additional Powder Hounds presentations will be on the second Saturday of every month through April. The public is encouraged to come and meet the search dogs and their handlers, and to have fun while learning! Please call Big Mountain’s Guest Services at 862-2900 for more information.

In addition to the Canine Team, Flathead County Search and Rescue offers specialty search resources with their Technical, Dive and Man Tracking teams, all of whom train regularly to fine-tune their skills in preparation for the need for their experience.

A valuable resource of the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, the Dive Team is highly trained and has the latest equipment for effective search techniques. The need for the Dive Team’s skills keeps increasing, and 2005 was an active period for the group. May saw the recovery of personal effects from a boy who drowned in Whitefish Lake 30 years earlier; in October, there was a recovery from the Swan River of a .22-caliber rifle believed to have been involved in a crime scene; and, most recently, there was a recovery of the body of a man who fell into McDonald Creek in November. Dive team members must purchase their own equipment and have a dedication to training about 80 hours per year in addition to mission time.

THANK YOU... SEARCH & RESCUE
...FOR LEAVING DINNERS HALF EATEN SINCE 1947

Although fortified by the additional hours and focused training of these unique groups, Flathead County Search and Rescue is not just specialty teams. In order to run smoothly, the organization has numerous volunteers, the efforts of whom often go unsung. From the people who search on foot or by road, to the members who stay back at base to man the radio, to the volunteers who perform maintenance on equipment or lick stamps and hand out brochures – all are integral to the team’s ultimate success, a success that has been recognized by individuals and organizations throughout the years:

“Every emergency call answered by the association is a story in itself, a true drama of courage, efficiency, and determination. The work of the Flathead Rescue Association is a tribute to the people of the Flathead Valley and milestone in the progress of lifesaving and rescue operations in America.” (November 1949 FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin feature article)

Yes, it can be difficult to pull on the snow boots and gear up for a long night in the cold after having just sat down to dinner. It can be even harder to get motivated for long hours through dense forest when settled in the warm comfort of bed. It does seem that missions occur at the most inopportune times and in the worst weather. But the volunteers past, present and future of Flathead County Search and Rescue will need never look back on their lives and wonder if they made a difference.

COME SEE WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT
Flathead County Search and Rescue Association will host an open house in January 2006. The public is invited to meet team members, see presentations, view equipment, and learn more about the group. Individual members from each of the specialty teams will be available to answer questions and provide insight into their respective areas. Refreshments will be served. For date and time, please visit www.flatheadsar.com.