SNOQUALMIE, Wash. — King County Search and Rescue has responded to a record number of calls for help this year, putting a strain on first responders who rush into action at a moment's notice.
“One of the challenges we encounter is just fatigue,” said Nathan Lorance, a volunteer with the organization.
King County Search and Rescue has responded to 174 missions and counting so far in 2019, the most it’s ever had in a year. They expect to surpass 180 by the end of 2019.
“Pretty much every weekend this year we’ve had some sort of mission,” Lorance said.
The high number of calls is mostly due to the region's explosive population growth in recent years, coupled with easier access to the wilderness, Lorance said.
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“We see a large percentage of the missions that we get along the I-90 corridor, the really easy-to-get-to trailheads,” he said.
The increased workload is making King County Search and Rescue plan for its own growth, including building a dedicated operations base and training facility.
Their current base in Snoqualmie is more of a makeshift headquarters. Much of what they do is funded by donations and comes out of volunteers' pockets.
Responders drive their own vehicles to calls, pay for the gas, and buy most of their own rescue equipment, Lorance said.
Besides hiker rescues, the organization helped transport 911 dispatchers, nurses, and doctors during last winter's snowstorms. They respond to reports of missing people and are ready to assist in the event of a natural disaster