The team was contacted by the Pierce County Department of Emergency Management at 1:58 A.M. on Monday, the 28^th of February. They requested Mountain Rescue volunteers to search for a lost 36 year-old snowmobiler reported lost in the Government Meadows area in eastern Pierce County.

The subject, Wayne Hood, and a friend had taken their snowmobiles to the area on Sunday after working on them on Saturday. While traveling along a logging road Wayne decided to take his machine down a 30 foot hill. His friend, not wanting to get his machine stuck in the deep snow, thought better of it a stayed at the top of the hill. He heard the motor of Wayne's machine bog down a number of times and then nothing. After waiting a couple of hours and calling out a number of times his friend decided to notify the Sheriff's department around 3:30 P.M.. Wayne was dressed in tennis shoes, Spandex pants, T-Shirt and a wool sweater. Rescue 1, a SAR team with snowmobiles was the first notified and followed the subjects tracks down the hill but as their machines started to bog down it was decided to call in Mountain rescue to follow the tracks on Snowshoes.

A callout was made and four members answered; they were told to report to the Cache at 3:00 A.M. or at the search base by 4:30A.M.. Fran was the Operations Leader and what follows is her report of the search.

Search for lost snowmobiler 2/28/00:

The unit was called around 2 a.m. for a lost snowmobiler in the Greenwater area. Four members responded: Fran McFarland, Stan Kartes, Ken Davies and Russ Brinton. We arrived at the Greenwater Fire Station around 4:30 am.

Our team was transported by snowmachine (thanks to the Pierce County Sheriffs Department and Rescue 1 from Enumclaw for the lift!) to the site where the subject went down into the drainage. His were the only tracks, so we started following them. As it got steeper, it was evident the subject would not have been able to turn his machine around, so he continued down. About a half mile down, we found the snow machine abandoned in deep snow. The subject's tracks then continued downward, rather than upward in his old tracks towards the logging road.

We followed the tracks for another half mile down the steep drainage in deep snow. We realized that it would be difficult to catch up to the subject and wanted some containment. We looked at the map and radioed the Sheriff to run a couple snow machines on some logging roads that seemed to cross the eventual path of the subject. Within about 20 minutes, they radioed that they found the subject on those roads - cold and hungry but OK.

We continued towards the logging road and were picked up by the Deputies on snowmobiles.

We returned to the Cache around noon.

Fran McFarland

Wayne had spent the night in a tree well that he had lined with branches. Though mildly hypothermic he was treated for bleeding gums from his teeth chattering all night and a mild case of frost nip to his toes and released Monday afternoon.

The Unit was contacted by the Pierce County Department of Emergency Management around 8 P.M. on Thursday March 2^nd. They requested Mountain Rescue Volunteers to help perform an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) search for a possible crashed aircraft in the Mud Mountain Three Sisters area of Eastern Pierce County.

A callout was made: however before anyone could even make it to the cache DEM called and canceled the mission; the aircraft was found safe at the Auburn Airport.

As you have all probably noticed I always begin the mission reports with the sentence, The Unit was notified by the Pierce County Department of Emergency Management. When you join the Unit you are asked to fill out an Emergency Worker data card and you later receive what we call a DEM card with a number on it assigned to you. This number protects you when you are on a mission to help replace any gear damaged or lost in completion of the mission or to provide reimbursement for any medical expenses incurred because of a mission.

Under Chapter 38.52 of the RCW and Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 118-04-060 The Unit can only be activated by the local law enforcement agency in our case the Pierce County Sheriff or the Department of Emergency Management. Direct requests to the Unit board members are not sufficient to activate the Unit.

If you ever receive a request from friends or acquaintances to call out the Unit to find or rescue a friend, please tell them to call 911 in the county in which the person is presumed lost to activate the search and rescue system. If however you respond without the Unit being activated, you respond as a private citizen without the coverage stated in the previous paragraph.

These minutes as published are unofficial and subject to approval at the next regularly scheduled board meeting.

Convened 19:30.

BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Alan Givotovsky, Fran McFarland, Larry Crum, John Kirkman, Gus Bush, Bill Weber, Russ Brinton, Chris Berryman, Victor Caro, Stan Kartes, Ken Capron, Jeff Sharp.

OTHER MEMBERS PRESENT: Jim Andrues, Rob Lutz, Ken Davies, Tracy Berryman, Roger Ternes, Maria Ternes, Phil Pletcher.

The January 2000 meeting minutes were approved as read.

TREASURER'S REPORT: Larry Crum

• Monthly report accepted as presented for 2/1/2000 through 2/29/2000 (full report is attached to the official meeting minutes).
• Updated TMRU Annual Report sent to Washington Secretary of State.
• 1999 Annual Treasurer's Report (see attached).
• Turning over Treasurer duties to Victor Caro.
• B & O taxes paid $95.00.
• Employee 1096 & 1099 forms were sent out.
• Having internet domain billing problems (see attached).

KIT REPORT: Tracy Berryman

• Chris Berryman gave report.

OPERATIONS REPORT: Gus Bush

• Mt. Rainier Mission, Monday Janury 31, 2000
• Four members responded, reported to Gray Army Airfield and flew by helicopter
• to Muir. Subjects were sighted and mission was turned back to airfield.

TRAINING REPORT: Russ Brinton

• Ropes & Knots taught by Chris and Stan.
• 18 people attended and Dr. Joe Rusinko gave a mini lecture on Bio-hazards and John Miner discussed Crime Scene Situations.
• The next class will stress G.P.S. taught by Jeff Sharp and Fran McFarland.

EQUIPMENT REPORT: Ken Capron

• 5 New Pieps are in.
• 4 New S.O.S. Avalanche probes are in at $73.00 each.
• New Rope Bag was sent back (wrong bag).
• New TMRU rosters are in the truck.
• Ken is going to supply big plastic ice bags to extend our supply of body bags.

COMMUNICATIONS: Stan Kartes

• Stan is 95% complete with our new pager service.
• Keith McIntosh and Marcus Donaldson are not in the new pager system.
• Alpha Mate at the Cache is not working.

SAFETY & EDUCATION: Rick Wire

• Absent, no report.

MEMBERSHIPS REPORT: Chris Berryman

• Darin A. Brenner voted in for Field Support.
• Victor Caro, in his new position as treasurer, had a preliminary background check done by Bob Crow and is on a waiting list with the D.E.M. for a complete check (wait could be up to 3 years).

FINANCE REPORT: Bill Weber

• No activity
• Alan will form a small committee to examine the current fund allocations.

AIR OPERATIONS: Jeff Sharp

• No Report.

SARVAC: Fran McFarland

• Fran will not be able to attend the next SARVAC Council meeting on March 14.
• Fran received the basic and intermediate Helicopter Standards from Brian Holmes.

MAST: Bill Weber

• No Report.

OLD BUSINESS:

• Fran and Chris are putting together a Grant for $5,000 from REI for a new roof and capital improvements.
• Marlene Hartman has the capabilities to digitize and embroider Unit logo and names on jackets and vests. At the next general meeting, Fran will be offering jackets at $45, and vests at $35 each.
• Chris made a motion that the Unit logo be the M.R.A. logo with the Tacoma Rocker on top.
• Code of ethics broken down into 2 components; general and board of directors.
• O.L. Training March 18 at the Pepsi Building in Tacoma with Pat Steel from Bates College as the facilitator.

NEW BUSINESS:

• Union 76 Gas Cards are in.
• Victor Caro is the New Treasurer (Hello, Victor, and Welcome Aboard!!)
• Guidestar.org puts out grant recommendations on the Internet.
• Fran McFarland and Jeff Sharp contacted Thurston County about donating our experience and gear in exchange for use of their helicoptor for training and S.A.R. missions.
• Please use the backyard of the Cache for parking your vehicle during TMRU functions.
• Discussion on the call-out system. Looking for someone to take over Tracy Berryman's position on the Call-out system. Anyone interested?
• Russ Brinton made the motion that Rescue Support and levels above do not have to pay the deposit on the pagers, but Field Support will pay the deposit and the Unit pays for the service.

Adjourned at 20:10

Respectfully submitted by John P. Kirkman, Secretary

The following members attended the Kit party on the 1^stof March:

Ken, Christine, Ian Davies
Duane Perham
Stan and Angela Kartes
John Simac
Rick Wire
Tracy Berryman

They made 218 kits

The following members attended the Kit Component Party on 15th March:

Chris and Tracy Berryman
Ken Capron
Piro Kramer
Ben Constance

The Kit parties are held from 7:00 to 9:00 P.M., the first Wednesday of the month and as of Jan 2000 will be held at the Cache. If you need directions, call 531-2120.

The next Kit Component Party will be at the Cache, Apr.19, 7:00-9:00 p.m. We need your help.

Until further notice the Unit training meeting on the second Wednesday of the month will meet at the Pepsi Cola Bottling Co. 3101 S Pine St. in Tacoma. Take the 38th St Exit off I-5, go west to Pine St. then turn north; proceed 7 blocks and the building will be on your right.

©Copyright 2000 Tacoma Mountain Rescue