BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit welcomed the public into its Boise headquarters Saturday, offering neighbors a firsthand look at the volunteer organization’s lifesaving work across Idaho’s rugged backcountry.
The open house featured technical rescue demonstrations, K9 search teams, rescue equipment, and educational presentations aimed at helping the community better understand how the nonprofit responds when someone goes missing or is injured outdoors.
WATCH | Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue demonstrates how volunteers save lives in the backcountry
Visitors watched volunteers demonstrate how rescuers secure and transport injured patients using rope systems designed for steep terrain and cliffside rescues.
“It was really cool to see their demonstration in person,” attendee Garren Bowers said. “They basically demonstrated how they secure the patient in a litter that they can use to transport them up and down the side of a cliff if they need to help someone who got lost rock climbing or something like that.”
During one demonstration, Rescue Director Alex Deduck explained how crews perform a maneuver known as a “Pike and Pivot” while hauling a patient up rocky terrain.
Bowers, a Life Scout working toward Eagle Scout status, said the event encouraged him to think about future volunteer opportunities.
“Definitely volunteering when I’m available,” he said. “I think that could be really cool.”
Throughout the event, volunteers spoke with families about mountain safety, rescue preparedness and the many ways the organization assists agencies throughout Idaho.
Brian Marinelli, a member of the unit’s K9 team, said the organization’s dogs are specially trained for a variety of search scenarios.
“We have dogs that are trained and certified to find live humans out in the wilderness or urban environments, and we have dogs that are trained to find subjects that have passed away,” Marinelli said.
According to longtime volunteer Ron Christensen, the organization averages between 35 and 40 rescue missions each year and has already responded to 15 callouts from nine different agencies so far in 2026.
“To that person in need, it’s extremely important,” Christensen said. “And time is critical. Time can make the difference in terms of the outcome of a mission, and so we like to be called out sooner rather than later.”
The Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit is entirely volunteer-run and provides rescue services free of charge. Because many volunteers balance rescue work with full-time jobs, the organization relies heavily on community donations to maintain equipment, mapping software, and communication systems.
During Saturday’s event, a local family donated a drone to the organization, helping offset operational costs and expanding the team’s search capabilities in difficult terrain.
“We have to keep the lights on here, and we have subscriptions for our mapping software,” Christensen said. “We have to maintain all our communication equipment, so yes, the cost continues.”
Saturday marked the first time the organization opened its headquarters to the public. Volunteers said they hope to host more open house events in the future to continue educating the community about wilderness safety and search-and-rescue operations.
