The Head and the Principal Officer of Mendoza Police Patrol Rescue Operations and Mountain Search Unit, Antonio Ibaceta and Hector Alfredo Alcano will travel tomorrow to the United States to participate in the National/State Parks Mountain Search and Rescue Institutional, Cultural and Operations Exchange Program. This program is organized by the U.S. Department of State in conjunction with the Government of Mendoza.
The program which will be held July 9-19 includes visits to National Parks like Grand Teton (Wyoming), Denali (Alaska), and Yosemite (California). This project builds on the exchange that started with a formal invitation for U.S. rescue experts to visit Aconcagua in February this year, by Mendoza Governor Francisco Pérez, Security Minister of Mendoza, Leonardo Comperatore, and Minister of Environment, Territory and Natural Resources, Guillermo Elizondo.
The program will focus on high altitude techniques and rescue operations out in the field. Aconcagua search and rescue teams normally face extreme climate conditions related to high altitude. During this professional exchange, the experts from Mendoza will have the opportunity to share valuable information with U.S. rescue teams, opening communication channels beyond international borders and strengthening bilateral cooperation in a highly specialized public service area such as mountain search and rescue. At the end of the program, participants will attend the International Sustainable Summits Conference hosted and organized by the American Alpine Club (AAC) and the U.S. National Parks Service in Golden, Colorado July 20-24. Over 150 experts and participants are expected to attend. The conference will focus on park planning, energy use and behavior research among other themes.
