Mountain Rescue Teams Converge At Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

Mountain rescue teams converged on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Wednesday for a social visit of sorts.

Along with members from the Riverside and Desert Mountain Rescue Units, sheriff’s deputies and representives from the U.S. Forestry Service all showed up for a tramway orientation session. It was put together by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team.

Part of the idea behind the meeting; everyone can be more efficient in a rescue operation if they know each other. “Anytime we can network with the agencies we work with on quite a routine basis and we get to see faces and we get to a mission, ‘oh yeah, I remember you at training.’ It’s always, it puts people at ease and it, it things just flow a little bit smoother,” said Sharon Ollenburger, a member of the Desert Search & Rescue Team.

Last year there were almost 30 hikers rescued from the tramway. If you’d like to volunteer for a mountain rescue team, call the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.