Volcano Rescue Team

09/14/2026

Meet the Member – Gregory Wong

Greg Wong joined the Volcano Rescue Team in 2019, bringing years of emergency services experience and a passion for helping others in the outdoors.
Gregory`s interest in wilderness medicine began years ago during a Wilderness First Responder course in San Diego. He later volunteered with fire departments in Sitka, Alaska, and Setauket, New York, before settling in the Pacific Northwest and joining VRT.

What makes you proud to volunteer with VRT?
Greg is proud to continue the tradition of service established by those who helped build NCEMS and VRT, particularly Tom McDowell. He considers it an honor to serve the community and carry forward that vision.

What are your top tips for staying safe in the backcountry?
Greg emphasizes preparation. Before heading out, leave a trip plan with someone you trust that includes where you are going, your route, and when you expect to return. Carry the Ten Essentials, teach children what to do if they become lost, and obtain proper avalanche education before heading into winter backcountry terrain.

Would you recommend getting involved in Search and Rescue?
Absolutely. Greg encourages everyone to find a way to give back to their community—whether through a school, food bank, service organization, or Search and Rescue team.

“We share common ground, and we should work together.”

Thank you, Greg, for your continued dedication to VRT and the communities we serve! Your calm and steady presence on missions radiates throughout the team. As we move up the volcano and into challenging situations, your confidence and composure help keep all of us focused, grounded, and moving forward.

08/22/2026

This past Wednesday, members of the Volcano Rescue Team had the opportunity to participate in helicopter hoist training with the U.S. Army Air Ambulance Detachment — Yakima DUSTOFF, part of the 2-158th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, 7th ID.

Yakima DUSTOFF
maintains highly trained Soldiers and aircrews ready to respond 24/7 in support of military and civilian rescue operations throughout the rugged terrain of the Pacific Northwest.

Training alongside Yakima DUSTOFF gave
VRT members valuable hands-on experience with helicopter hoist operations, communication, patient movement, and coordination between military aviation crews and civilian search and rescue teams. These partnerships and joint training opportunities are critical when real-world missions require multiple agencies to work together in challenging backcountry environments.
A huge thank you to the crew of "Yakima DUSTOFF 165" for sharing their knowledge, experience, and professionalism with our team. We greatly appreciate the partnership and the opportunity to train together.

Thanks Randy for hosting us😎🙏

08/02/2026

🚁Volcano Rescue Team | Mission & Training Update – July 2026

July was another busy month for the Volcano Rescue Team, with volunteers responding to 6 missions, including a day where two separate incidents occurred within hours of each other. Our team remained ready to answer the call across Mount St. Helens and the surrounding backcountry.

July Missions
•July 9 – Recovery Assistance(Canyon Creek)
Assisted the Clark County Sheriff’s Office with a recovery operation requiring high-angle rope rescue off a bridge to gain access.
•July 18 – Ape Caves
Responded to a report of a missing family that had become lost off the trail. The family was located safely and escorted back to their vehicle.
•July 19 – Monitor Ridge
Responded to a cardiac arrest on Monitor Ridge. The patient was treated and evacuated by Life Flight helicopter.
•July 19 – Arnold Creek (Cowlitz County)
Responded to an ATV crash. The patient was located, treated for a compound fracture, and transported by NCEMS Medic 51.
•July 20 – Mount St. Helens Climbing Route
Assisted Medic 53 (Pine Creek) with a climber who suffered a broken wrist. VRT’s e-bike team was deployed to assist Medic 53.
•July 24 – Mount Margaret Backcountry (Shovel Lake)
Responded to a dehydrated and ill thru hiker. Two VRT members were flown by helicopter (JL) to the patient, who was stabilized, evacuated to Yacolt, and transported by NCEMS Medic 51 to LSC Hospital.
Training
Even with a busy operational tempo, our volunteers continued training to maintain critical rescue skills, including:
· High-angle rope rescue
· Patient packaging
· Litter setup and evacuation systems
Every mission highlights the importance of teamwork, training, and readiness. Whether it’s a technical mountain rescue, medical emergency, or search mission, the Volcano Rescue Team stands ready to deploy whenever and wherever we’re needed.
Thank you to our volunteers and our partner agencies for your continued dedication and commitment to serving our communities.

VRT

07/29/2026

07/01/2026

VRT Mission & Training Update – June 2026

June was another active month for the Volcano Rescue Team as our volunteers responded to incidents throughout the Mount St. Helens area while continuing to train for the busy summer climbing season.

June by the Numbers
• Total Missions: 2
◦ June 6: Search for a missing caver/hiker in the Ole's Cave area.
◦ June 24: Technical rescue of an injured climber approximately 6,800 feet, off the primary climbing route on Mount St. Helens.
• Technical Climbing Rescues: 1
• Medical Emergencies: 1
• Search Missions: 1
• Partner Agency Training: 1 Mock Rescue Exercise

In addition to responding to missions, our volunteers continued training to maintain the skills necessary for safe and effective wilderness rescue operations.
This month's training included:

• Technical rope rescue and high-angle. operations
• E-Bike monthly training rides
• Wilderness and backcountry patient care
• Navigation and search techniques
• Team coordination and rescue systems
• Joint mock multi-agency mission

Every mission reinforces the importance of preparation. As more people head into the mountains this summer, remember that conditions can change rapidly. Snow and ice can remain on upper elevations well into July. Before heading out, check current conditions, carry the Ten Essentials, bring a reliable communication device such as a satellite messenger, stay on your planned route, and always let someone know your itinerary.
Thank you to our dedicated volunteers, partner agencies, and supporters for your continued commitment to helping those who recreate in the backcountry.
VRT

06/03/2026

Mission Update – Summer Climbing Season is Here

The summer climbing season has arrived, and the Volcano Rescue Team has already been busy. Within the past week, VRT responded to multiple mountain rescue missions, including some occurring within an hour of each other.

Recent missions included:
• Three separate rescues involving climbers who became off-route due to following glissade chutes and required technical assistance.
• One medical evacuation for a climber who suffered a lower extremity injury while on the climbing route.

All climbers were safely located, evacuated, and returned home.

As you prepare for your climb, remember to:
• Carry the Ten Essentials
• Use mapping and satellite communication devices
• Plan your route and know your turnaround time
• Stay hydrated and maintain proper nutrition
• Sign the climber registration log
• Let friends or family know your itinerary and expected return time

If you become lost or disoriented, stay where you are. Remaining in place greatly improves our ability to locate and assist you quickly.

VRT

04/09/2026

This month we recognize and appreciate Mike W. with an amazing story to tell.

I’ve been a volunteer with VRT since 2004. When I started, I worked as an engineer for the City of Vancouver, WA. A few months after joining the team, I started a business, quit my government job, and continue to run it today. I’ve been married to Lisa for almost 25 years, and we have two grown children who are now married. As of last August, we also have a beautiful granddaughter!

My story revolves around two men whose example of public service had a big impact on me. Back in the mid 1970's, my Dad, Dennis Williams, was a Clark County Sheriff's Office deputy, working under Undersheriff Tom McDowell. My Dad then moved into a career as a 911 dispatcher. As a kid, I had a public-safety scanner in the living room where I would listen to Fire, EMS, and Police radio traffic and hear Dad when he was at work. Dad would often come home with stories about Tom McDowell, who by then had transitioned from Undersheriff to full-time Chief at North Country EMS and Fire District 13. Tom was highly respected and known for always getting the job done, no matter what it was. At 19 or 20 years old, I found myself in the back of a North Country EMS ambulance after crashing my dirtbike in the hills above Hockinson. Tom McDowell was driving the ambulance that day, and my Dad happened to be working the Fire/EMS dispatch radio. At some point during the call, Tom realized I was Dennis' kid, and my Dad figured out it was me in the back of the ambulance. I'll never forget hearing the radio traffic between those two while lying in the gurney, telling Tom to tell my Dad I'd be fine and not to worry. That was the first time I met Tom in person.

A few years later, I thought I wanted to be a deputy like my Dad. I was out of college and already had a good career, so I tried out for the Sheriff’s Office Reserves, a way to become a Deputy and give back to the community while still having a "normal" job. I tested twice and received 69% on one part of the test, which required 70% to pass. I was pretty disappointed, but later learned it was for the best. Fast forward another couple of years, and I had a co-worker and another friend who were both volunteers with the Volcano Rescue Team, a specialized team under the North Country EMS umbrella, led by Tom McDowell. With my love for the outdoors and with what I knew about Tom, I figured it would be a good fit. In the fall of 2004, I took the test and passed the oral and physical. My business schedule allowed for flexibility, and I was able to participate in pretty much every training and rescue. My appreciation for Tom grew quickly, and we developed a deep mutual respect. I didn't have much experience, but Tom quickly gave me more and more responsibility, eventually making me team chairman and helping run field operations after less than 2 years.

Over the years, I went on countless rescues and wildland fires with Tom. One of the most memorable VRT missions was my first. A young man from Tennessee was driving a rental Cadillac, trying to drive around the east side of Mt. St. Helens in winter. This area is very remote with no civilization within at least 20 miles. The car became stuck in the snow on a side logging road. As a child, the young man was told that if he ever got lost in the woods, he should simply follow a creek downstream to the nearest house. While that may work there, it wasn’t going to work here. Instead of walking back on the roads he had driven in on, we found him in the middle of the night, wearing penny loafers, jeans, and a sweatshirt, in the snow at sub-freezing temperatures, walking in large circles through the old-growth forest, following drainages that led even further from anything. If the Sheriff’s Office hadn’t found the car so quickly and we had not found him that night, his chances of survival were very low. Some of the more difficult missions involved recoveries when the family was on scene. I once had the responsibility to notify a family in the parking lot that we had found their mother and wife deceased at the bottom of a cliff. While these outcomes are not what anyone hopes for, we still do it, knowing it’s necessary and brings the family closure.

In fall 2022, both Tom McDowell and my father, Dennis, passed away a week apart. Their examples continue to drive my involvement with VRT today.

02/27/2026

VRT Mission 2/19/2026
Avalanche Callout

Around 12:50 PM 2/19, VRT was dispatched to a reported avalanche burial near Shoestring Gully, Mt St Helens (5,800’) involving a group of 8 snowmobilers. Hazard was rated “moderate,” with 2–3 feet of recent storm snow at elevation. Seven members responded.

Before deployment, the group returned to Marble Mountain Sno Park on their own with the subject. He had been fully buried (head 3’ deep) in a slide estimated at 2–3’ crown and 100m wide. Partners located him quickly using beacon and probe. His partner began digging by hand, and others joined. They located the backpack quickly, but the subject’s head was deeper and farther downhill. After about 10 minutes they extricated him; he was unresponsive, apneic, and cyanotic. Following three rescue breaths, he showed signs of life. He was buried head downhill with a foot caught in the snowmobile track/tunnel.

A reminder: moderate hazard does not mean low risk—recent storm snow and terrain above tree line can rapidly elevate avalanche danger.

The subject declined ambulance transport despite strong recommendations.

Thanks to:
Skamania County Sheriff’s Office for managing the incident and keeping all parties informed.

02/14/2026

This month, we’re proud to highlight Jared! A dedicated member of the team for over 10 years, Jared brings not only experience but some incredible stories. By day, he works in construction and has also partnered with our friends at the Mount St. Helens Institute.

Jared’s journey with VRT began back in 1997 when he first met our founder, Chief Tom McDowell. While out on the mountain, Jared encountered an injured climber and sprang into action—skiing down to the bivouac to reach the old 911 call box and activate emergency services, bringing VRT to the scene.

Years later, he crossed paths with the team again after helping an injured climber down to the tree line, where he met VRT members responding to the call. That time, instead of just lending a hand, he was asked to join the team—and we’re incredibly glad he said yes.

We asked Jared a few questions about his experience:
What’s your most memorable mission?

Representing VRT on an out-of-state mission in Oregon to recover a climber on the west face of Mt. Hood.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering?

Being part of something larger than myself—this team is truly a community.

What’s your best advice for avoiding an incident in the backcountry?

KBYG: Know Before You Go. Use every resource available to you—study detailed maps and always check reliable, up-to-date weather reports before heading out.

We’re grateful for Jared’s years of service and the dedication he brings to every mission.

01/24/2026

The Volcano Rescue Team conducted training this month focused on two critical areas to ensure readiness during winter and mountain operations.

New Member Snow Machine Familiarity:
New team members received hands-on training with snow machines, focusing on safe operation, handling in varied snow conditions, terrain awareness, and group travel techniques. This training helps ensure all members can confidently and safely operate snow machines during missions, reducing response times while maintaining safety in challenging environments.

Avalanche Awareness & Beacon Training on Mt. St. Helens:
The team also trained on Mt. St. Helens, conducting avalanche education and beacon search exercises in realistic alpine terrain. Members practiced transceiver use, search strategies, probing, and companion rescue techniques while reinforcing decision-making skills in avalanche-prone areas.

Ongoing training like this strengthens our team’s skills, coordination, and preparedness to respond effectively in high-risk mountain environments.