This is Steve Achelis' Avalanche Site Commander Cheatsheet. (Avalanche Incident Commander duties are listed at the bottom of this page. You can find detailed information about avalanche rescue here.)

• Get authorization from the resort and UPD (801-840-4000).
• What do we know about the accident?
• What are the hazards?
• Who is going in?
• How will we communicate? What is our backup plan?
• How will we get out? What is our backup plan?
• Do we have adequate travel, safety, rescue, and medical gear?
• Do we have adequate food, water, and shelter?

• Hazard mitigation (e.g., Powderbirds)?
• Rescuers: Patrollers, public, SAR, WBR?
• Searching: Canine, long-range transceiver, RECCO, additional probes and probers?
• Flagging (bamboo or tape)?
• Medical equipment (e.g., airway, O2)?
• Transportation: SKED/toboggan? Air or ground ambulances?
• Food, water, shelter?

• Obtain situational awareness. Helicopter fly by?
• Is the scene safe?
• Do we still have communication?
• Interview witnesses?

• Assign team leaders liberally. Document.
• Make clear assignments. Document.
• Require team leaders to report back to you. Document.
• Possible assignments:
  • Scribe (record times, team #s, tasks, completions, etc)
  • Avalanche Guard/Safety Officer
  • Bystander Liaison (safety, interview, inform)
  • Searching
    • Surface clues
    • Transceiver
    • Canine
    • Spot Probing
    • RECCO
    • Probe Lines
  • Medical
  • Transportation (Landing Zone, Toboggan, etc)
  • Communications
  • Rehab (e.g., foot, water, shelter)

• Report operational status to Incident Command.
• Reconsider safety.
• Ask, “What am I overlooking?”
• Ask, “How can I help?
• Stay two steps ahead of the current tasks.

1. Notify dispatch (i.e., everyone) that s/he is the IC.
2. Establish a command post.
3. Identify the key tasks to be performed.
4. Make an incident action plan (IAC) even if informal.
5. Assign resources (people and equipment) to complete the tasks.
6. Manage the overall incident.

Note that in smaller incidents, the Incident Commander may be the Operations Chief (i.e., Avalanche Site Commander).