Community Health & Engagement

Air St. Luke’s partners with Colorado team for avalanche rescue training in Wood River Valley

Dog and handler about to board Air St. Luke’s helicopter.

By Joy PrudekLast Updated March 23, 2026

Few professional development days are like ones recently held in the Wood River Valley.

Helicopters, dogs and some out-of-state compatriots were on hand for a multi-day specialized avalanche search and rescue training school.

The training brought together 24 avalanche dog teams from across the western United States, including all four Sun Valley teams, focused on locating people buried under snow. Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment partnered with Air St. Luke’s crews that provided helicopter support, giving teams the opportunity to train in realistic scenarios that reflect how avalanche rescues often unfold in the real world.

Group of dogs and handlers gather around the helicopter. — Air St. Luke’s partnered with Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment for a multi-day training opportunity in the Wood River Valley.

Preparing for complex rescue environments

Avalanche search and rescue is an incredibly challenging emergency response environment, often involving steep terrain, remote locations and rapidly changing conditions. Helicopters are a commonly used resource in these rescues — but only when responders are trained to work safely and effectively around them.

As part of the event, Air St. Luke’s supported training that allowed dog teams and handlers to practice helicopter transport, including the added complexity of moving working K9s. This type of experience is not always available during routine training but is critical for real-world readiness.

“Helicopters are a commonly used asset in many rescue situations and it’s important to have that experience and training before the actual emergency event,” said Blaine Patterson, EMS director for Air St. Luke’s. “This training gives teams exposure to something they may rely on when the stakes are very high.”

Avalanche dogs are trained to locate human scent beneath snow, alerting handlers when they detect a buried person. Training during the C-RAD school focused on reinforcing these skills through repeated searches, including burying “quarries,” or human scent sources, and introducing variables commonly seen in real avalanche scenes.

“The public often sees the helicopter and the dogs and thinks about the excitement, but what they don’t see are the countless hours of training that go into this work,” said Ryan Parnes, an Air St. Luke’s flight nurse. “There’s a lot of planning, a lot of people involved and a tremendous amount of trust between a dog and handler. It really takes a village.”

Community Health & Engagement

Air St. Luke’s partners with Colorado team for avalanche rescue training in Wood River Valley

By Joy PrudekLast Updated March 23, 2026

Few professional development days are like ones recently held in the Wood River Valley.

Helicopters, dogs and some out-of-state compatriots were on hand for a multi-day specialized avalanche search and rescue training school.

Preparing for complex rescue environments

Group of dogs and trainers getting familiar with a helicopter. — The “school” session allowed the teams to get handlers and their dogs to be comfortable with transport on a helicopter, along with getting a further familiarity with the backcountry.

A local advantage at St. Luke’s Wood River

This collaboration also highlights the value of having a dedicated Air St. Luke’s base at St. Luke’s Wood River.

Because Air St. Luke’s crews are based locally, they can participate in unique training opportunities like this — not just respond during emergencies. That local presence allows crews to build relationships with regional partners, gain familiarity with local terrain and support preparedness efforts that benefit both residents and visitors who recreate in Idaho’s backcountry.

Training alongside specialized rescue teams strengthens coordination across agencies and reinforces a shared understanding of roles and expectations before a real-world response is needed.

“Working with avalanche dog teams during this training helps us understand each other’s roles and builds confidence that when we’re called into a real rescue, we’re prepared to operate safely and effectively together,” Parnes said.

Commitment to readiness and collaboration

In addition to current handlers, the training included local technicians and secondary handlers, some of whom may become future avalanche dog handlers. This approach helps build long-term local capacity for avalanche response and ensures specialized skills are shared and sustained.

Avalanche callouts in Idaho occur less frequently than in higher-density recreation areas, but when they do happen, preparation is essential. Training like this ensures responders are not learning critical skills during an emergency — they are applying experience gained through deliberate practice.

For Air St. Luke’s, supporting the C-RAD school reflects an ongoing commitment to readiness, collaboration, and community safety. Training alongside specialized partners helps ensure crews are prepared for the most complex rescue environments and reinforces the importance of proactive preparation.

Having a local Air St. Luke’s base at St. Luke’s Wood River strengthens emergency response — not just in moments of crisis, but long before a call ever comes in.

Dogs playing around the helicopter. — Dogs and their handlers gathered around Air St. Luke’s helicopter while becoming aquainted.