JOSAR Volunteer Meeting Scheduled

Joshua Tree will hold an informational meeting for potential volunteers for the park's Search and Rescue (JOSAR) team. The meeting will be held on Friday, February 24, at 7pm, at Black Rock Visitor Center, 9800 Black Rock Canyon Road. To reach the Black Rock Visitor Center, take Joshua Lane south from the town of Yucca Valley to Black Rock Canyon Road.

If you enjoy teamwork, helping others, and the beauty of Joshua Tree National Park, plan on attending the meeting to learn about the many opportunities, requirements, and time commitments for each level of participation in the park search and rescue team.

JOSAR volunteers search for lost hikers, rescue injured or stranded climbers, and support park rangers in various visitor safety tasks. No training or experience is required. The park provides extensive training in land search, tracking, incident management, and high-angle rope rescue techniques. You may participate as a rescue member, field searcher or in a support capacity for team operations.

Basic requirements for participation are:

• you must be 18 years of age or older,
• be comfortable with heights,
• be physically fit for work in rugged terrain in extreme weather conditions,
• be a team player,
• be available on short notice to respond to emergency callouts,
• be composed under stressful situations and,
• be comfortable working around injured people.

For questions or more information, please email Kevin Buckley at: [e-mail].