Avalanche Safety and Rescue
Avalanche Safety and Rescue Equipment
Proper equipment is essential for maintaining safety. Safety equipment should include the following:
Snow Shovel
1. It can be used to dig snow pits for stability evaluation and snow caves for overnight shelter.
2. A shovel is necessary for digging in avalanche debris because such snow is far too firm for digging with hands or skis.
3. The shovel should be sturdy and strong enough, yet light and small enough to fit into a pack. Shovels are made of aluminum or high-strength polycarbonate and can be collapsible.
4. To extricate someone buried beneath 1 m (3.3 ft) of snow requires removing about 1 to 1.5 tons of snow.
5. Seven to 10 minutes is needed to uncover someone buried 1 m (3.3 ft) deep. A 2-m (6.6-ft) burial requires 15 to 30 minutes.
Collapsible Probe Pole or Ski Pole Probe
1. This may be used to assist in pinpointing a victim following a transceiver (rescue beacon) search and is essential if the person is without a transceiver.
2. Organized rescue teams keep rigid poles in 3- or 3.7-m (10- or 12-ft) lengths as part of their rescue equipment caches.
3. The recreationist can buy collapsible probe poles of tubular aluminum or carbon fiber that come in 0.6-m (2-ft) sections that fit together to make a full-length probe.
4. Ski poles with removable grips and baskets can be screwed together to make an avalanche probe. These are largely inferior to dedicated commercial probes.
5. Although entirely suboptimal, a tent pole, the tail of a ski, or a ski pole with the basket removed can substitute for this piece of equipment in an absolute emergency.
Avalanche Rescue Transceivers (Beacons)
1. The term transceiver differentiates avalanche transceivers from satellite emergency notification devices, such as personal locator beacons and SPOT devices (satellite personal tracker that transmits a person’s location via satellite to friends or emergency services).
2. Avalanche rescue transceivers are the best device to quickly find a buried companion.
3. Transceivers emit an electromagnetic signal on a worldwide standard frequency of 457 kHz.
4. A buried person’s transceiver emits the signal, and the rescuer’s unit can be set to receive the signal.
5. The signal carries a distance of 20 to 30 m (66 to 98 ft), and when used properly, can guide searchers to the patient.
6. It is essential to confirm that all members of the party have their transceivers set to “transmit” before travel.
7. Merely possessing a transceiver does not ensure its lifesaving capability. Frequent practice is required to master a transceiver-guided search.
8. Skilled practitioners can find a buried unit in less than 5 minutes once they pick up the signal. Because speed is of the essence in avalanche rescue, transceivers are lifesavers.
9. Beacons should be strapped close to the body under a layer of clothing.
10. Always check batteries before trips and carry extra batteries. Use high-quality batteries.
11. Never use rechargeable batteries in an avalanche rescue transceiver. The transceiver could lose power without warning or prior indication of low power.
12. Transceivers should be turned “on” at the start of the day and turned “off” at the end of the day.
13. Check every party member’s transceiver periodically throughout the trip.
14. Keep the device dry and free from battery corrosion.
15. Modern transceivers generally employ a computer chip to process the signal, displaying a digital readout of the distance and general direction to the buried unit.
16. A three-antenna transceiver is preferred over two- or one-antenna devices because the third antenna significantly improves locating the sending unit.
17. Avalanche rescue transceiver searches have become highly specialized, and search technique depends largely on the specific model and type. It is essential to practice and learn the specifics of any model used before using it in an actual rescue.
18. Box 2-1 provides a generic overview of a search, but these instructions should not take the place of the unit’s type-specific instructions.
Avalanche Airbag System (ABS) (Fig. 2-1)
1. Although airbags were originally designed for guides and ski patrollers, airbags can be used by anyone venturing into avalanche terrain.
2. The airbag is based on the principle of “inverse segregation,” which causes larger particles to rise to the surface. A person is already a large particle. The airbag makes the user an even larger particle.
3. The airbag is integrated into a special backpack, and the user deploys it by pulling a rip cord–like handle.
4. Airbags are of two types: dual bags, one on each side of the pack; or a behind-the-head, pillow-like single bag.
5. Empiric data suggest that the ABS significantly reduces the likelihood of dying because of avalanche burial.
6. Avalanche risk increases when users view airbags as a “magic shield.” The reality is that ABS protection is certainly not foolproof. This device should never be used to justify taking additional risks.
AvaLung (Fig. 2-2)
1. The AvaLung is an emergency breathing device designed to extract air from the snow surrounding a buried avalanche victim.
2. It is worn as a sling or independent device over the outer layer of clothing.
3. If buried, the person can breathe through a mouthpiece and flexible tube connected to the vest.
4. The person inhales oxygenated air coming from the surrounding snow, which passes through a membrane in the vest.
5. The exhaled air passes through a one-way valve and into another area of the snow posterior to the person to greatly reduce the effects of carbon dioxide contaminating the airspace.
6. The AvaLung has worked well in simulated burials, allowing the person to breathe for 1 hour in tightly packed snow. It has been effective in actual avalanche burials.
7. This device should never be used to justify taking additional risks.
8. The most recent version is incorporated into various-sized backpacks with a packable mouthpiece kept in the shoulder strap.
Recco Rescue System
1. The detector sends out a radio signal that is doubled in strength and reflected back by the specially tuned reflector.
2. The reflected signal provides directional pinpointing of the person’s location.
3. The search strategies with the detector are similar to those using avalanche rescue transceivers. However, the Recco system does not replace transceivers.
4. For people equipped with transceivers, the reflector becomes a backup system. For novices who might not even know they should carry a transceiver, the reflector provides a basic rescue system.
5. Through air, the signal range is up to 200 m (656 ft); in snow, the range is up to 20 m (66 ft); liquid water attenuates the signal.
