Item: EMPOWERING TEAMS: STRUCTURED RISK MANAGEMENT AND FLUENT LEADERSHIP IN MOUNTAIN RESCUE
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Title: EMPOWERING TEAMS: STRUCTURED RISK MANAGEMENT AND FLUENT LEADERSHIP IN MOUNTAIN RESCUE
Proceedings: Proceedings, International Snow Science Workshop, Whistler, BC, Canada, 2026
Authors:
- Benedikt Friedrich [ Bavarian Mountain Rescue Service within the Bavarian Red Cross, Germany ]
- Stefan Blochum [ Mountain Rescue Center for Safety and Training (BW-ZSA), Bavaria Germany ]
- Silvan Metz [ Mountain Rescue Center for Safety and Training (BW-ZSA), Bavaria Germany ]
Date: 2026-09-28
Abstract: The Bavarian Mountain Rescue Service (Bergwacht Bayern) strives for the safest possible operational environment and the most challenging yet safe training conditions. This requires a standardized, user-friendly risk assessment tool that is easy to understand, apply, and teach. We all accept varying levels of risk in our daily lives. Our decisions are being influenced by personal biases and the inherently stressful environment. Factors like fatigue, discomfort, or alertness shape our individual risk tolerance. When navigating complex situations with non-quantifiable variables, decision-making becomes highly subjective. To bring our risk assessment closer to an objective evaluation we need a structure to break down these situations into easy to judge factors . During high-stress operations with limited information a structured decision-making tool and fluent leadership offers significant benefits with minimal drawbacks. Developing a new risk assessment scheme from scratch demands significant resources and years of training. To ease uptake and reduce training overhead, the DCMR concept is implemented as a proven concept with familiar terms. D(Dangers) x C (Consequences) – M (Mitigating measures) = R (residual risk) Originally developed for winter guiding, it has been expanded to meet the additional demands of mountain rescue operations beyond standard recreational use. It is applied not only to avalanche-related decisions but also to non-avalanche scenarios in both winter and summer operations. The method is applied in the Bavarian Mountain Rescue Service to assess risks in training situations or even design training scenarios where specific challenges like darkness or height are intentionally introduced but due to specific measures the overall risk remains low. We want to share our learnings and experiences with the outdoor community, particularly with search and rescue and mountain rescue teams. We believe this tool has the potential for widespread use in the field and can contribute to safer operations.
Object ID: ISSW2026_P4.44.pdf
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15788/1790099367
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s): Benedikt Friedrich
Keywords: mountain rescue, risk management, decision making
Page Number(s): 1982 - 1987
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