Lifesaving in the Red River Gorge

This campaign seeks to fund a new volunteer wilderness medical team serving Kentucky's world-renowned Red River Gorge, called  RedSTAR ‌.

Though very skilled at searching and rope rescue, the Red's exceptional Search and Rescue (SAR) teams do not have patient care capabilities beyond the first aid level because they are not licensed EMS agencies. Moreover, the surrounding local EMS agencies do not have SAR capabilities. For years, this has meant that patients have gone without needed medical care- like pain control, airway management, advanced trauma care, diagnostic monitoring, cardiac support and fluid therapy- while the SAR teams carry them to an awaiting ambulance over the course of several hours.

To solve this problem, a group of professional emergency medical providers with a passion for the Gorge and experience in SAR formed  RedSTAR- the Red River Gorge Special Treatment, Access and Rescue team.  Operating as the volunteer special operations unit of Powell County EMS, RedSTAR provides highly trained and experienced EMT's, Paramedics, and Nurses who are trained and equipped to enter the woods with the SAR teams and legally authorized to provide the highest levels of emergency medical care.

Though we're supported operationally by the Powell County government, we're mostly dependent on donations to provide our services. We must pay our own way in our mission to save lives. Powell County is one of the most economically challenged communities in America, with  nearly a third of its citizens living at or below the federal poverty line. Powell County's leaders have been generous in providing support where they can, but that generosity has very real limits. 

**The funds collected through this campaign are received by RedSTAR, Inc, a 501(c)3 and Kentucky non-profit corporation. Contributions to this campaign are fully deductible from federal income taxes.***

Your donation will save lives and ease suffering! For example:

$10 pays for an Anaphylaxis treatment kit.

$25 pays for two tourniquets.

$40 pays for a box of IV pain medication.

$55 pays for two iGel emergency airway devices.

$100 pays for a safety helmet for a volunteer member.

$200 pays to send a volunteer to an Advanced Wilderness Life Support course.

$500 pays for two semi-disposable vacuum mattress splints.

$1,000 pays to send a volunteer through a Rescue 3 International rope rescue technician course with appropriate personal equipment.

$2,000 pays for an Automated External Defibrilltor (AED) to treat cardiac arrest patients.

$3,000 pays for a compact Sp02/ETCO2 monitor to provide appropriate airway support to a patient.

ANY donation helps us meet financial goals like these, and more! Thank you for your support!