Calendar

KISAR members boarding a Coast Guard Dolphin helicopter during familiarization training.

KISAR general meetings occur on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. Changes will be sent via e-mail.

Please join our email list to stay up to date with our meetings and trainings.

January 18 2020 Training:

KISAR will hold a general membership training on Saturday January 18 covering avalanche transceiver use and avalanche rescue. 
 
We will meet at 9:30 AM at Bayside Fire Hall to go over gear and possible training scenarios. The training itself will then likely happen at the golf course in the Buskin Valley. Other topics to be covered are probing and effective shoveling techniques. Required equipment will be a transceiver, probe, and shovel, plus whatever clothing is needed for the weather on Saturday. If members don’t have avy rescue gear, we will be able to distribute extras from the cache. The training will likely extend into the early afternoon.

January 16 2020 Meeting:

General meeting will begin at 7pm at the Bayside Fire Hall. Following the meeting Philip T will go over avalanche transceiver training.

November 16 2019 Training:

This will be an orienteering and small-team search training at Termination Point. Members will meet at Bayside Fire Hall at 9am for a briefing.

July 5-7, 2019 Training:

KISAR members will learn about initial response and command setup for search operations.

June 22-23, 2019 Training:

Deb Ajango will do a tailored wilderness first aid course.

April 27-28, 2019 Training:

This will be a joint KISAR-USCG helicopter training. This will focus on working with USCG helicopters, patient packaging for helo transport, mountaineering and rope skills, plus communication and safety.

March 23, 2019 Training:

10am at the parking lot on Pyramid. This will cover general winter mountaineering skills like setting up shelters on snow, safe and effective crampon and ice ax use, setting up snow anchors, and related topics. Exact activities will depend on snow conditions that day.

February 23, 2019 Training:

KISAR will conduct a training at Fort Abercrombie State Park at the Ram Site on rigging a high-line lower system to help a litter negotiate a complex cliff face. Skills will include rigging a high line, a lower system with a main and modified belay line, and rigging a litter with an attendant. We will also continue to practice clear communication between members on the rope system. All members are encouraged to attend both the orientation on Thursday evening (Feb 21) as well as the field practical on Saturday. Plan to meet at Bayside Fire Hall at 9:00 AM to gather equipment from the KISAR gear cache.

February 21, 2019 Meeting:

KISAR will hold a short general membership meeting at 7 PM at Bayside Fire Hall. Following the meeting John Sikes will lead a short lecture covering the topic of Saturday’s  (Feb 23) training: rigging a high-line lower system for a litter on complicated cliff terrain.

January 19, 2019 Training:

Avalanche rescue and transceiver training (weather permitting). A presentation at the KISAR meeting January 17th will cover how avalanche transceivers work, basics of avalanche scene assessment, initiating a rescue using signal search, coarse search, and fine search, followed by probing technique. It is strongly recommended to show up to the presentation if you plan on attending the training. Saturday’s training will cover more topics in depth including shoveling strategies and multiple burial scenarios.

December 8-9, 2018 Training:

Joe Stock from Alaska Guides Collective will be doing avalanche training. There will be an indoor lecture as well as beacon/shovel/probe technique, safe snow travel, and light rope rigging for rescue. Dec 6th Joe will host a lecture designed as an introduction to basic snow awareness emphasizing avalanche danger open to the public.

November 17, 2018 Training:

Weather permitting outdoor mock rescue focusing on search tactics and patient assessment.

October 27-28, 2018 Training:

Deb Ajango will do a wilderness first aid refresher for KISAR members.

Sept 29, 2018 Training:

Coordinated Training with USCG. Members will meet at the USCG Base gate at 8:45am (car pool if you can). At 10:00am members will fly to high alpine and begin simulated search. Once the subject has been found members will call for a USCG helo pickup and practice working with flight crew to evacuate the subject. Optional overnight stay at KISAR hut. Bring 24hr packs (even if you do not plan on staying the night) and all appropriate gear.

Sept 27, 2018 Training:

Static H-60 Orientation at Air Station Kodiak

Sept 15, 2018 Training:

Orienteering and search navigation training at Termination Point with Philip T.

August 16, 2018 Meeting:

Board meeting will start at 6:30pm and the general membership meeting at 7:00pm at Bayside fire hall.

August 18, 2018 Training:

John Sikes will lead a ropes session. He recently completed a rigging for rescue intensive course and will be sharing what he learned.

July 21-22, 2018 Training:

This will be an overnight exercise with full 24hr ready packs. Objectives include team building, gear assessment/usage, and traveling under load as a group.

Thursday July 19, 2018 Meeting and Lecture 7:00pm:

KISAR meeting at Bayside fire hall. Will feature a bear safety discussion by John Cry (ADF&G). All members are encouraged to attend, and non-members interested in Search and rescue are welcome.

Sat May 19, 2018 9am:

Meet at Bayside Fire Station at 9am, be prepared to go to Pillar for training if weather permits.

Jun 23-24, 2018:

KISAR will be hosting Wilderness First Aid training. There are a limited number of open slots for members of the public and will cost $150 each. Please contact KISAR if you are interested in participating in this training.