 Hello, I'm Sean Boyd, public information officer with Cal OES. We are so lucky to live here in California because we have this to explore all year round. But there are some precautions you need to take, especially during the winter time because things can go bad very quickly. Hiking California's back country is especially rewarding during the winter months. The views can be awe-inspiring. When there's snow, skiing or snow shoeing are other great ways to trek glistening white terrain. But the decisions you make long before you venture out could mean the difference between fond memories and failed ones. The best advice I can give you is to go prepared. John Pelichowski is a search and rescue coordinator with the Mono County Sheriff's Office. He and other SAR coordinators and volunteers from around the state have gathered at Mammoth Mountain for annual winter SAR training. If a ground crew goes in to get someone, that person also has to come out via the ground. Whereas if I go in and I get somebody with this, they can ride in the cab, we've got a heater and lights. They're the ones who might be called to rescue you should you need them. Be prepared, know your limitations. Of course Cal OES is all about getting you prepared. Make sure that you do have food, you do have water, you have the appropriate layers and understand that mother nature is the boss. And you leave some form of information with somebody. Where are you going? What are you doing? How long are you planning to be out there? Preparation can give you a leg up on survival should you get lost, like this hiker a few years ago on the high Sierras. Cody, you okay buddy, you okay? Or when something out of your control happens, like a broken leg, you'll need to send for help. How will you do that? And how will rescuers find you? Luckily, today's technology can assist. There are personal locator beacons or PLBs, satellite phones and GPS and in reach devices that allow for two-way communication from almost anywhere, unlike a cell phone. There are just a few more tools in your backpack, but don't rely solely on them. It is not a superhero cake. Know how to use them. They could one day save your life. At Mammoth Mountain, I'm Shawn Boyd for Cal OES News. I'm Brittany Peterson with Cal OES and today I'm with first responders who are learning vital skills and techniques like building snow caves as part of a winter search and rescue training held here at Mammoth Lake. We host this every couple of years up in the eastern Sierras. We do have a very user-friendly training ground, as you can see around you with the snow and the terrain. You can see what is working. The snow is down below on the snow, designed by the Cal OES law enforcement branch. The winter search and rescue training is a five-day, 40-hour classroom and field-instructed course with trained professionals and experienced instructors. Typically search and rescue coordinators are at the command post, but we do go out in the field quite a bit, so it's a good representation of the challenges we'll face when we're out there and the challenges that our guys will face when they're out there. Search and rescue coordinators learn how to properly manage a winter search and key factors for an avalanche rescue. Traveling across the snow on snowshoes or special equipment and critical survival skills in the case of being stuck overnight in extreme winter weather. It teaches us or simulates what our guys are going to have to go through in the field, and it also gives us a good tool in our tool belt in case we ever get caught out in something. This training, a lot of useful information they can take back to their agency. It'll help them make better decisions in the field, especially in the winter environment. We have located number one. For more information, visit news.caloes.ca.gov. From everyone here at Cal OES, I'm Brittany Peterson.