Alpine rescue boosted by repeater donation

Simoco Group and partner Pacific Wireless Communications (PWC) have jointly donated a rapid-deployment suitcase portable repeater to the field operational teams at Alpine Search and Rescue (alpineSAR).

The volunteer organisation comprises an experienced group of back-country skiers, mountaineers and bushwalkers who are skilled in search and rescue. In their capacity as members of Bush Search and Rescue Victoria (BSAR), they are often called on by Victoria Police to search for lost people in alpine and bush areas.

The alpineSAR teams are involved in many key rescue operations throughout the year and also support a range of outdoor events, including Running Wild’s annual Alpine Challenge.

alpineSAR members work in small teams with other BSAR and emergency-services personnel. While they may come back into base by the end of the day, they are just as likely to stay out overnight, depending on the search area they have been allocated. The number of searches varies but may be from one to five per year.

Members attend training with a couple of single days and a multiday winter training event each year. The training builds on members’ existing camping and bush/alpine skills by adding search, leadership, remote patient management, radio, GPS, steep snow and ice, avalanche rescue and other skills required in a search or rescue situation. A key part of the training is learning to operate as a well-functioning team with the other members.

For alpineSAR members operating in extreme sub-zero weather conditions, reliable communications are vital, enabling swift rescue coordination and response. The repeater donation will help support field communications, providing coverage to volunteers operating in difficult mountainous terrain with limited cellular and state-radio network coverage.

“As a non-profit organisation, the support from Simoco and PWC has been highly appreciated by all of our volunteers,” said alpineSAR President Duncan Maughan.

“Having reliable radio contact throughout field operations is vital for effective command and control and for ensuring the safety of volunteers, and the radio repeaters will enable us to do our job more efficiently.”

Simoco and PWC provide critical communications to emergency-service organisations and both respect the selfless work undertaken by these committed volunteers.

Image caption: David Cox, director of operations at PWC; Rik Head, alpineSAR; Duncan Maughan, alpineSAR; Robert Meachem, general manager of Simoco Australasia.