As commander of the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team, Steve Achelis participated in hundreds of mountain rescues that frequently made the evening news. In Mountain Responder Steve takes the reader along on these life-and-death rescues as he and his teammates dig people out of avalanches, hang on a thin cable below a helicopter, and rescue climbers stuck on rock walls. Threaded throughout these unforgettable rescues, Steve shares the exhilaration of saving a life, the fears and uncertainties during the struggle to keep a patient alive, as well as the doubts and second-guessing when someone doesn't make it.

Benchmark Assessment Teacher's Guide provides overview of assessment, instruction for giving an ORR, scoring an ORR, using the kit to provide a level and reading behaviors overview for instructional support.