Plumas County Search and Rescue announced that its members participated in a collaborative helicopter hoist training exercise near Graeagle May 23. Plumas SAR joined the Graeagle Volunteer Fire Department and the California Highway Patrol’s Northern Division Air Operations for the training event.
“Our local volunteer fire departments are essential partners on many of the incidents we respond to throughout Plumas County,” said SAR personnel. Volunteer firefighters are often the first to arrive on scene, providing immediate care, critical resources and invaluable support to subjects in need, said SAR. “We are especially grateful for the dedication, professionalism and service Graeagle Fire provides to the residents and visitors of this beautiful and busy area. We frequently work alongside their personnel on incidents in the Lakes Basin and surrounding communities.”
California Highway Patrol Northern Division Air Operations is SAR’s primary helicopter hoist resource, and its crews provide an “extraordinary service” to Plumas County, said SAR. The highly skilled air ops pilots and flight crews are capable of accessing and extracting subjects from remote and hazardous locations in a fraction of the time required by ground-based rescue efforts, said SAR. “Their expertise, professionalism and commitment to training make our emergency response capabilities safer, faster and more effective.”
SAR volunteers point out that training opportunities like this strengthen relationships between agencies and help ensure responders are prepared when emergencies occur.
