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As a student, there's a lot of academic rigor.
But being able to take time to help others
is I would consider to be equally important.
It really does help to be able to know that what you're doing
is meaningful to the community.
THIS IS THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAIN RESCUE GROUP
A VOLUNTEER SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
COMPOSED OF UVA STUDENTS
UVA FACULTY
AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS
Unfortunately, people get lost all the time.
It's not just hikers.
It can be any kind of person.
People with mental health problems
who walk away from their homes, kids with autism, our goal
is to find the person.
But it's also to rule out that they're in that area.
We will look for clues and signs of passage.
THEY TRAIN CONTINUOUSLY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
IN THE CLASSROOM
AND IN THE FIELD
THEY ARE ON CALL
24 HOURS A DAY
7 DAYS A WEEK
365 DAYS A YEAR
We all have our packs ready pretty much all the time.
You just kind of drop everything and go.
We work with canine search and rescue
and a lot of different types of teams
to pinpoint high probability areas where
the subject might be found.
THEY HAVE RESPONDED TO HUNDREDS OF MISSIONS
I think, we all take every search a little bit personally.
You want to help that person.
They must be feeling scared and alone.
And it's a really good feeling to know
that we can go help them.
And we can try to find them.
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[DOG BARK]
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