Conservation Project: PSAR

With my third week well behind me now, I should inform you guys of the project I have been working on while I have been out here at Lake Mead. My task has been to lay a foundation for implementing, and or improving, a PSAR Program here at LAKE. Also to educate concessions and the local communities as to the hazards associated with visiting LAKE, and maintaining the loaner life vest stations available at Boulder Beach.

One of the life vest stations I stock and maintain.

PSAR (Preventative Search and Rescue) is an essential component of ensuring the safety and enjoyment of visitors by providing crucial information on the hazards at a respective NPS unit/park. The point of a PSAR program is that it helps people avoid needing to be rescued whether they are out on a trail or on water because they have the necessary knowledge or resources to avoid and or handle the risk themselves. For example, these programs have been incorporated with positive results in other units, such as Grand Canyon National Park which is adjacent to LAKE. The program focuses on sharing important safety messages through the use of signs, Mead’s website, social media, and one-on-one contact with visitors. That way visitors are able to make better-informed decisions and can take proper precautions as they explore the recreation area. Bottom line: The goal is to save lives.

The graph details the number of search and rescues at Grand Canyon National Park from 1983 to 2014. Trends diverged after 1996, the year the park implemented the Preventive Search and Rescue Program.

However, this recreational area faces a variety of complex situations that other parks may not encounter. Due to a lack of proper staff, equipment, and the sheer size of the park, it can be difficult getting the necessary people to do some of the PSAR initiatives found elsewhere. This does not mean that steps have not been taken to ensure the safety of visitors here at LAKE. Many of the LE Rangers here are EMT trained, and there is always the patrol plane that goes and flies out to the remote & hard to reach areas of the park when a SAR is taking place. Plus, because the temperatures get so high during the summer, many of the more dangerous trails, White Rock and Gold Strike Hot Spring, are closed off for the season with road barriers and signage. The Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail is still open, but if you decide to go, aim for an early morning hike in order to avoid the rising temperatures. An example of PSAR found at this trail is the large thermometer, warning signs, and map kiosk that alert hikers of possible heat-related dangers to them and their pets. 

     

A big push for this initiative is the fact that many of the SARs that take place are avoidable. Extreme heat and drownings are the major cause of death here at the recreation area, so it is important to take some extra precautions to ensure your safety. Also, with the 4th of July right around the corner, the life vest stations need to be refilled and maintained. Recently, we received a donation of 335 life vests from the admins of the Las Vegas Fishing Club and Lake Mead Family Boaters Uncensored Facebook groups. This was done in honor of the 6-year-old Stacey Mock, who tragically drowned here this past May. According to NDOW, strong winds pushed the girl, who was on a pool float, away from the shore. Pool toys being something the park has worked to prohibit for some time due to the danger they can pose, especially with children. However, it was nice to see a community rally together to help make some necessary steps towards preventing this tragedy from happening to others.  

Children help deliver lifejackets to Deputy Chief Ranger Matt Stark, Ranger Peterson, Ranger Dunbar, and I over at Boulder Beach.

                                                                              

I will continue to work on my project, maintaining the loaner life vest stations, and doing what I can to help educate the public. Speaking of which, here are some safety tips on hiking during the summer here at Lake Mead. I plan is to consolidate this information and other water safety tips into an easy to have pamphlet or card that can be carried around by visitors and distributed to them by the staff here. The NPS's mission is to “preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.”

Therefore, you must do what you can stay to safe and hydrated! 

Until next time,

ProRanger Carlos