r/searchandrescue • u/bpdd1 • 18d ago

Question about yosemite

Hey, just looking to chat about what might look good for a YOSAR application. I come from a fire dept family (am hoping to join my city's department depending on how my test score comes back) and as an avid climber I would love to bring that together to join the Yosemite team. I am a registered nurse, have an EMT license, first aid certified, and am starting an ER job soon to get more acute care experience, can comfortably climb 5.10 and higher, though do not have Yosemite climbing experience which I know isn't great for that. Just want some advice about what I should be doing between now and January when I send my application for next season.

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u/bpdd1 18d ago

Also I am hoping to get a level 1 trauma ER position, but there aren't too many options in my area so I may need to go to a lower level. Would that realistically make a difference

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u/klmsa 12d ago

From a medicinal practice perspective, yes it does matter. No idea whether it matters to YOSAR or not.

Consider that all of us special operations medics are assigned to a major trauma center (I went to Grady Hospital in Atlanta, with ambulance work as well) for a few months before we're allowed to graduate our school (all services go to the same Army school). If you don't have trauma experience, it can really help to create good routines and sort of break the shell on that initial emotional reaction.

YOSAR is probably going to care more about the insertion/extraction capabilities than treatment, though. The care you can provide is extremely limited in the backcountry, since you have to consider the impact of additional evac time, hostile weather, infection, etc. on every intervention.