February Issue 2009 LEWIS COUNTY COMPOSITE SQUADRONLEWIS COUNTY COMPOSITE SQUADRONLEWIS COUNTY COMPOSITE SQUADRONLEWIS COUNTY COMPOSITE SQUADRONPCRPCRPCRPCR---WA WA WA WA-- --110110110110WASHINGTON WING, CIVIL AIR PATROL WASHINGTON WING, CIVIL AIR PATROL WASHINGTON WING, CIVIL AIR PATROL WASHINGTON WING, CIVIL AIR PATROL NEWSLETTER OFInside this issue: March Birthdays 3 Websites of Interest 4 Upcoming Events 4 SNOW SAR DAYC/2d Lt Jonathan SheaPublished by Lewis Co. Sq., CAP PO Box 56 Chehalis, WA 98532 Editor: 1st Lt Rut h A. Peterson On February 7th, sixteen members of the Lewis County Composite Squadron ascended into mountains of east Lewis County to the Or Creek Snow Park, to partici- pate in winter SAR training with the Lewis county SAR council. The first class on the agenda was the fire building course, taught by Tadd Pilz of the Mossyrock SAR team. Trainees were shown how to use a metal match (a magnesium stick that is shaved into fine bits, and then ignited). Cadets were also introduced to the marvelous cotton ball/petroleum jelly fire starter, lint, fire sticks, and many more. Lastly, they learned about fire trenches, and other ways to increase oxygen flow underand around a fire. After a successful fire had been lit, Gabe Frase, a deputy for the county, and a SARcoordinator in training, walked us through how to assemble a winter pack. He talked about having multiple layers of clothing on your person, to protect and insulate from the elements. Space Blankets, area maps, water, a few days worth of food, and fire starter were just a few of the essential items that were recommended for a winter pack. One of the most informative sessions during the day was avalanche awareness training taught by Terry Williams, President of the Lewis County SAR council. SAR per- sonnel learned about how avalanches are started, snow conditions that lead to avalanches, and what to do if you are ever caught in one. After we had learned this information, we were taught how locate a person caught in an avalanche, using long poles that are used to probe the snow for the person under- neath. Cadets also got an introduction to personal location de- vices (comparable to a PELT) that send a n audible signal to another device, creating anothermethod of finding the buried person.Here are a few Avalanche tips: If your partner gets buried, you don't have time to go for help! You must save your partner...if you go for help it will be too late!♦ Yell to alert your partners and other people that may be in the area. Watch the victim! Memorize the last seen point. ♦ Make sure it is safe to search. Don't become a victim yourself. ♦ Designate a leader and quickly develop a search plan. ♦ Look for surface clues like gloves, boots, and otherequipment. ♦ Conduct a beacon search. Get close and probe BE- FORE you dig.
