WILSON, Wyo. — Teton County Search and Rescue (TCSAR) put its RECCO Long Range Helicopter Device to use during a rescue training exercise on Monday, Aug. 26.
The all-season training, which was partially conducted in a classroom and out on a high ridge line between Black Canyon and Mosquito Creek, was focused on utilizing the RECCO SAR Helicopter Device, which can locate people who become buried in avalanches, lost in the backcountry and more.
RECCO is a radar system that uses a directional detector/receiver and a reflector. A 2.2 pound hand-held battery-powered detector can locate a reflector up to 262.5 feet away through air, and up to 65.5 feet away on the ground. The handheld version of the system has been utilized by TCSAR for the past 18 years, but the organization has only been using Long Range Helicopter RECCO for three to four years, according to TCSAR.
RECCO Director of Training and Technical Support Daniel Howlett told Buckrail that the radar technology of RECCO devices has morphed from being just an avalanche rescue device into a year round rescue tool.
“It’s a rescue tool for professional rescuers when responding to anyone missing in the backcountry,” Howlett said. “It doesn’t replace companion rescue. It’s just another way to find a missing person. If you are on horseback and you have a reflector on your coat, responders can potentially locate you in a drainage in minutes. It’s such a great service for these search and rescue groups. It helps all of these volunteers who put themselves at risk to find someone.”
TCSAR founding member Tim Ciocarlan told Buckrail that 10 TCSAR members, including the helicopter pilot, participated in the search and rescue training. The helicopter was mounted with a RECCO detector via a 30 foot cable. A radar emitting detector, when mounted to the underside of a helicopter at an elevation of 328 feet or less, can search 247 square acres in as little as six minutes, according to RECCO.
“The unit is blue toothed to the controller in the aircraft, which the co-pilot seat person controls for use and sensitivity levels,” Ciocarlan said.
According to RECCO, a reflector, which is approximately the size of a stick of chewing gum, can be attached to the outside of a backpack, helmet or outer wear. A reflector is encased in a flexible piece of plastic and does not require power or activation to be functional. When a rescuer sends out a signal, the reflector bounces it back. The stronger the signal, the closer rescuers are to a person’s exact location. When a detector reflects back a person’s location, the detector emits an audio signal.
“We can locate a single reflector within a meter or less easily,” Ciocarlan said. “With the long range receiver we can fly at 300 feet above ground level and literally be searching a football field in width and length while flying 40 knots airspeed. Wide area searching with the Long Range Helicopter RECCO is easily and quickly accomplished, as well as its fine search abilities.”
According to Ciocarlan, TCSAR also hangs a Long Range Helicopter Transceiver Search Beacon from the belly of the helicopter. The RECCO system does not interfere with the radio technology of transceivers. While a RECCO device should not be used in place of a transceiver, probe and shovel for locating someone in an avalanche, the added technology can allow for a faster search.
“Both of these devices have made ‘be searchable’ faster, safer and easier, hopefully increasing chances for positive outcomes,” Ciocarlan said.
