Wilsonville Spokesman Online

Mt. Hood rescue mission: A behind-the-scenes look at communication efforts

• By: Michelle Te  
• Published: 12/22/2009 10:31:08 AM

The long search
Scores of search and rescue members, decked out in cramp-on boots and skis, ice axes, riggings and personal safety equipment, scoured Mount Hood for days in search of the three missing climbers. The body of one climber was recovered; the other two remain missing.

Managing communication between the rescue efforts and the onslaught of media was a round-the-clock effort for public information officials.
 
“At one point I had 97 pages, and that’s not an exaggeration,” said Det. Jim Strovink, who manages public information for the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. “It all happened so quick.”
 
Once he heard about the search and rescue efforts on Saturday morning, Strovink quickly booked himself a room at Timberline Lodge and began communication efforts. He used his videographer to help retrieve messages and make phone calls.
 
It wasn’t long before at least 30 family members and friends of the missing climbers had arrived on the mountain, as well as local and national media teams.
 
“In lessons learned from the past, we always strive to work with the local media first, they are the ones we work with day in and day out,” said Strovink, whose communication efforts went as far as a 3 a.m. live feed with a national morning television show.
 
“We had a legion of media that arrived on the scene, and this was getting national attention,” he said. “They’re hungry for information, so it worked out well, where I could deliver the tempo of information being released.”
 
Dennis Simons, a chaplain for the Sandy Fire Department, was asked by the families of the missing hikers to act as a spokesperson.
 
“They prayed together and held together,” Strovink said. “Dennis did a commendable job. He worked around the clock and acted as their spokesperson. That was a great assistance to me. He’s the strongest man I’ve ever met. He had the faith to maintain an equilibrium with all involved.”
 
He also mentioned his admiration for Sheriff Craig Roberts, who made the decision to suspend the search.
 
“I witnessed him working with the families,” said Strovink. “He had to make the ultimate decision to suspend the search, so to sit and counsel with the families, I can’t think of a better leader. He doesn’t like to quit. He had to confer with them and consider the safety of everyone else. They were critical, heart-wrenching decisions.”
 
For future searches, Strovink said he plans to set up a better media center, a place where all information can be filtered, transmitted and communicated.
 
He had praise for both rescuers in the air and on the ground, despite some differences of opinion over the use of electronic locater devices.
 
The sheriff’s office is advocating that hikers bring along any means of communication available, items that will aid in rescue efforts should any hikers become injured or lost.
 “You should know your route, be prepared, and we recommend any electronic means to enhance rescue efforts,” Strovink said.

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