GENERAL INFORMATION:

1. Competition and Registration. Teams may only compete in one category. Categories for competition are: Ground and K9.  Teams must consist of 5 to 6 members and teams must register in advance. The competition will begin at 8:30am on the day of the event.  Teams will be required to check-in prior to the start of the event with check-in beginning at 7:00am.  A Friday night check-in may be available and teams will be notified.  Check-in and the Start/Finish area will be at the entrance of Cooper’s Rock State Forest.

 

2. Release of Liability. All participants of the SAR Challenge 2007 Competition will be required to sign a “Release of liability” releasing the Mountaineer Area Rescue Group, Cooper’s Rock State Forest and all other groups or individuals involved in conducting the competition, of any liability in case of accident, illness or injury.

 

3. Staff. Staff personnel will wear nametags. Call on them for assistance whenever necessary.

 

4. Park Rules. Cooper’s Rock State Forest will be open for other users during the event.  SAR Challenge participants will be required to abide by all park rules. Failure to comply will result in disqualification.

 

5. Publicity. This event may or may not be televised; contestants will act accordingly and refrain from foul or vulgar language. All contestants will be required to complete and sign a waiver allowing any and all use of printed and televised media taken during the competition without any expectations of remuneration, royalties or any other compensation.

 

6. Inappropriate Behavior. Contestants and/or teams may not behave in a manner that is inappropriate, illegal, or causes unfavorable attention to be focused on the Challenge, causes problems for other users of the park, park staff or Challenge staff or may damage the reputation of the Challenge. After proper and careful investigation by the Challenge staff, teams or contestants found to be in violation of this rule will be disqualified from the competition.

 

7. Weather. This is an all-weather event. The competition will continue through inclement weather or darkness. However the Chief Judge reserves the right to suspend or cancel the event if hazardous weather conditions occur.  Follow instructions provided by the judges.

 

8. Competition Times. Team check-ins will begin at 7:00am on the day of the event.  The competition will begin at 8:30am on August 11th.  Teams will be notified if a Friday night check-in will be available.

 

 

10. Site Time. Teams are allowed maximum eight (8) hours on the competition site.  Each station has a specified time limit that must be followed.

 

11. Team Members. If a team member or patient becomes injured or ill during the team's competition time requiring evacuation or intervention by the judges, staff or a RIT Team, the team will be disqualified.

 

12. Emergencies. In the event of an actual emergency, local EMS and the Emergency Response Team (competition staff) will respond to evaluate and evacuate the injured (if required). Competing teams may be requested to assist. Report ALL emergencies to the Command Post immediately.

 

13. Teams. Teams are limited to five (5) to six (6) members. Each team may have alternate team members who may compete only if a team member is unable to compete before the start of the event. No substitutions may be made once the competition has started. 

 

14.  Vehicle access.  Only K9 teams will be allowed to access their vehicles during the event and only to retrieve or store their K9.  All supplies and equipment must be carried by team members throughout the entire competition.  No vehicle access is permitted (except for K9 teams to store their K9s).  Vehicle access during the event will result in a 30 minute time penalty.

 

15. Communications. All communications will be non-emergency, simulated communications unless an actual emergency is declared.

 

Relating to EQUIPMENT:

16. Team Equipment / Supplies. Each team is responsible for providing appropriate safety and emergency care equipment for their level of training and competition category. Supplies must include those necessary to complete each event station as well as adequate survival equipment and provisions to support the team and the patient for a twenty-four hour (24) period of time. Equipment provided is listed on each station rules.  Adequate supplies of water or other fluids are necessary to prevent dehydration during the competition. Two quarts per team member (per day) and two quarts per patient (per day) are recommended. Foul weather gear should be included.  No pre-fabricated shelters will be allowed.

 

17 Minimum personal equipment. Each team member must be equipped with the following personal equipment or supplies: Helmet with (minimum) three-points of suspension, eye protection (meeting ANSI Z-87.1), leather gloves, appropriate sturdy clothing (long pants are required and long sleeve shirts are recommended), rescue/climbing harness or Swiss seat (tied or knotted Swiss seats must have a backup [independent] 1" or 2" tubular nylon waist belt to be tied with an appropriate knot around the waist and included in the main harness carabineer), locking carabineer, sturdy boots or shoes that provide ankle protection, and personal first aid/survival kit.

 

18 Unsafe Equipment. Judges may check equipment at any time during the competition, and points may be deducted for inadequate gear. The Base Camp / Safety Judge will inspect all teams prior to their departure to the competition site. Inspection of the equipment will be made in order to reduce the risk of injury. The Safety Judge has the right to add or subtract points during the inspection. They will not allow inappropriate or unsafe equipment to be used. Inadequate equipment is grounds for disqualification. Team members are expected to be knowledgeable in the operation and safety aspects of all equipment. Teams may be required to unpack equipment for inspection.

 

19. Equipment or supply simulation. The team must bring all equipment and supplies it intends to use during the competition to the competition site. No substitution or “simulated” equipment or supply is allowed.

 

20. Equipment. Teams are not allowed to cache supplies or equipment on the mountain prior to their competition time. Teams are not allowed to leave equipment or supplies on the mountain, or abandon or jettison gear or supplies on the mountain during the competition.

 

Relating to SAFETY:

21. Safety. Teams will refrain from using alcoholic beverages or non-prescription drugs during the event.

 

22. Judges. Each competition site will have at least two Site Judges. Each category of competition will have a Category Judge who will oversee all sites within their category. The Chief Judge will oversee the entire competition. Problems shall be reported to: (1) Site Judge(s)  (2) Category Judge (3) Chief Judge. Team leaders only should report problems to site judges as quickly as possible. The Chief Judge will review all terminations before a team is dismissed from the site.

 

23. Safety. Teams are responsible for the safety and management of their site. This includes observers and bystanders. Proper safety techniques and equipment must be applied. Bystanders and observers will not be allowed to endanger their lives or the safety of others. Individuals not associated with teams who are unsafe or who interfere with the competition in any way will be asked to leave the site. Observers and photographers and other contestants are not allowed to exchange or provide any information about a site, a team, or procedures that they have observed to any competing team. This would unfairly influence the competition. Teams receiving such information will be disqualified.

24. Minimum system safety factor. The minimum safety factor for the weakest part of all anchors, systems, rigging, hardware, software, etc. used to support human life during the competition shall be not less than 5:1.

 

25. Fall protection required. On sites where patients or rescuers are exposed to significant risk of injury due to vertical fall hazard, all personnel approaching or working around cliff edges, holes, cracks or other substantial elevation changes shall be secured by belay, lanyards, safety ropes or other such devices secured to anchors capable of holding the person should a fall occur. Free climbing and non-belayed movement on

the site is allowed in situations where there is no significant elevation exposure or other risk of serious injury should a fall occur.

 

26. Rock fall. Contestants and teams must not allow or create rock fall. It poses a serious hazard to competition participants and park guests. Avoid unstable areas. Rock fall or instability caused by the activities of the team will cause point deductions or termination if serious.  Rock fall may be simulated during the event.

 

27. Administrative Hold. The judges may place teams / sites on an "Administrative Hold" indefinitely for problems out of the control of the team or judges, such as weather, rock fall or other unforeseen events. The Chief and Category judges will be notified immediately and advised of the nature of the problem. During an Administrative Hold, the site time is stopped until the “Hold” is discontinued. There is no time or point deduction assessed during an Administrative Hold.

 

28. Safety Warning. Judges may warn a team of unsafe actions or conditions that are caused by the team or team members. Two (2) "Safety Warnings" are allowed each team. Fifteen (15) minutes and thirty (30) minutes will be deducted for each Safety Warning, respectively.  A third (3rd) Safety Warning will result in termination.

 

29. Safety Freeze. A site or category judge may "freeze" or stop all action at a site in order to suggest / direct repair of a profoundly unsafe action or condition caused by the team or team members.  Teams will not incur time during a safety freeze.

 

30. Safety. Judges may terminate a team at any time for gross safety violations or unsafe conditions. Appeal to category judge. The Chief Judge will review all terminations prior to team dismissal from the site.

 

31. Appeals. If a team feels that a problem, situation or judge's decision requires further examination, an appeal may be made to the Appeals Committee, chaired by the Chief Judge, after the team has completed the competition. The team leader will notify the Chief Judge of the nature of the problem. The Chief Judge will call the Appeals Committee to meet as soon as possible, along with appropriate witnesses and the team leader. The decision of the Appeals Committee is final.

 

 32. Terminated teams. Terminated teams will be scored up to the point when they are terminated. Judges will critique the team to the point of termination and submit the critiques to the scoring staff via the Category judge. Terminated teams are eligible to win awards in their category; however, they may not displace teams with a lower score that have successfully completed the competition in the same category. Terminated teams are not eligible to win the High Point Award.

 

 

Related to the SITE:

33. Terrain and Vegetation. Participants are not permitted to alter the natural terrain or vegetation. Do not damage or destroy the plants, animals or rock. No Tree-Wrap belays will be permitted.  Teams will collect any trash, waste or refuse generated by their activities on the site and will pack it out for proper disposal.