Colorado teenagers who are part of the Arapahoe Rescue Patrol remain ready to jump into action and respond to emergencies

A group of Colorado teenagers is proving age is just a number when it comes to making an impact and saving lives.

On Thursday morning, dozens of members of the Arapahoe Rescue Patrol were deployed at 5 a.m. to help search for a missing hunter on Shavano Mountain. It's just one of more than 50 calls the team responds to every year.

They're highly skilled and undergo vigorous, extensive training. No matter the conditions, whether it's in the snow or on steep mountains, the team is ready to jump into action to help others. 

"This is our litter that we carry our patient in -- so if a patient cannot walk out themselves or they're unable to -- we make sure they can get out safely, we put them in there and then carry them out," said Ellie Kanaber, a sophomore and a sergeant in the patrol.

Since 1957, the patrol has provided search and rescue and emergency services. Adults oversee the team, but it's made up of 90 youg people who are volunteers. They're primarily based in Arapahoe and Elbert Counties.

Ki Kulow is also a sergeant and says he joined because he was inspired by his family.

"I've had amazing family, grandparents who were in firefighting and EMS and they showed me a love for people," said Kulow. "That's what brought me in -- I was trying to help others and be like them."

"My family was involved through many different generations, and so I joined based off of that," said Kanaber.

The team helps find missing, stranded or injured people. They also give a person medical aid if they need it and then bring that person to safety. The incident management and incident response is primarily handled by the teens.

"Everyone on our team is trained to the same standards, all to finish the goal, finish the mission, get someone out of the field," said Kulow.

Ellie's father, Justin Kanaber, is the team's chief. He says each new member spends over 100 hours in extensive basic training, including 24 hours of classroom training and two 48-hour weekend training sessions.

"We teach them the basics of search and rescue, everything from how to search for missing persons to the basics of carrying a patient," said Chief Kanaber.

The team is always honing their skills, and their training continues at least once a month.

"Training in wilderness survival, winter alpine operations, emergency care, and things like technical rescue, basic hazmat awareness classes," said Chief Kanaber. "Our members put in a lot more hours training than they do responding to missions. So that they're ready for anything that the wilderness may throw at them."

On average, the team responds to about 50 calls each year. In March, they searched for a missing man outside of Arapahoe County. In late February, they searched for a missing juvenile Arapahoe County, and there was also another rescue on Pikes Peak. Arapahoe Rescue Patrol is also the second oldest search and rescue team in Colorado.

During their efforts, they also support local first responders and other search and rescue teams across the state.

"We're pretty heavily relied upon for sending large numbers of trained searchers. So, we will go to all corners of the state to help other teams look for missing persons," said Chief Kanaber. "We also get called to help with long carry outs and rescues to some of our neighboring counties as well."

Chief Kanaber was also on patrol when he was a teenager. He recalls his first call when he responded to a plane crash south of Larskpur, a call that was very impactful to him. He's now been involved with the patrol in many different positions since then but has been the chief for about 17 years.

"People always ask, 'what is it like to work with teenagers?' My answer to that is always give them the responsibility, and I'll show you what they're capable of doing," said Kanaber. "It's super rewarding being able to do something like this. You get to work with some amazing young men and women."

When the call comes in, they don't hesitate to respond. It's a passion for helping others, and a commitment to serving your community.

"There's no one hero in search and rescue. It's everyone working together," said Kulow.

While every call is different, there are many things that remains the same, including the camaraderie and community and difference their work is making.

"One civilian... he just had a long day, and he got out of his car and gave me the biggest hug," said Ellie. "I'm 16 years old, and I get to help people make a difference in their day."

"I've made some of my best friends on the team, as well as it gives me something that fills my heart, is being able to go out and help others," said Kulow.

Arapahoe Rescue Patrol heavily relies on community support and donations. To learn more about the team, visit www.arapahoerescue.org.