BUSAR Anniversary Update – September

BUSAR celebrated it’s one year anniversary this month!! Looking back, I am extremely proud of the missions and training accomplished this past year. Huge thanks to Steve Kloster and Jared St. Clair for supporting the idea and our team.

August – Smokies Litter Team day
September – Georgia Orienteering race
October – Ekaneetlee ManVenture
November – Rob Spieden Tracking class
December – Porter’s Creek, Lester Prong, “real” Bunion & Survival 101
January – Survival 101 & Downed plane search exercise
February – Survival 101 & Interagency SAREX
March – Skedco Manway carryout
April – K9 training, BTRT-E, Virgina SAR conference, litter team day & Smokies Tech Team
May – BLRI SAREX
June -BUSAR tech training, Swiftwater I & Black Diamond Vertical Training
July – Swiftwater II & Black Diamond Vertical Training
August – Swiftwater II & Black Diamond Vertical Training

Workouts – Crushing it as the weather cools off.. A couple of us needed to knock out the pack test, so we created the “SAR-duous” duty pack test. First three miles is standard USFS test – 45# in 45 min plus and additional 2 miles, switching out to SAR packs and carrying 35# kettlebells

Rescue Swimmer 1 – Herrington, Grieco, and Jernigan started the Public Safety Rescue Swimmer course, taught by Jason Benjamin. More info here:Rescue Swimmer

Black Diamond Vertical Training weekend 4 – BUSAR was again well represented at the final Black Diamond Vertical Rescue Training of the 2016 season. Excluding our dedicated, exceptional Instructors Daniel Murray, Greg Osborne, Victoria Airey and the legendary Bob Barlow (caving, innovating and instructing since the sixties) BUSAR members comprised half of the class! King Cobra, Dusken and his Lady. Danny and I proudly showed the BUSAR colors.

After the students rigged the drops, the day was spent on rope learning new skills, practicing those previously acquired, and completing the Basic and Advanced Rope Techniques Skills check-off process: ascending, rappelling, pick-offs, ascending and descending past knots, transferring from one rope to another while climbing and descending, and

Figuring out how to climb with a Rope Walker or make a climbing system from 3 random “parts”

It was another great day on the Rock. As always, BUSAR members are welcome to attend any and all sessions. Two day training is generally held the second week-end each June, July, August and September at Backbone Rock in Shady Valley Tennessee. There is a campground at the Rock. I will be your point of contact for any questions.

– Doc

GRSM Tech Team Training – Herrington, Miller, Benjamin, and Campbell attended the Smokies Tech Team training day. Great to support and integrate with the guys we will be working with in the field.