ON THE SCENE: Blue Sky volunteers carry out search and rescue missions in earthquake-struck Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, on April 17, 2010 (QING YOU)

In 2005, Zhang moved to Beijing from his hometown in Hebei Province. He said that he came to Beijing because he could find more people who share his passion for outdoor sports in the city.

In Beijing, Zhang worked at a firm during the daytime, and in his spare time, he explored Beijing's mountains and rivers with like-minded friends.

In March 2007, a young editor got lost when climbing a mountain in suburban Beijing and eventually died because of the low outdoor temperatures on a winter night. This tragic event made Zhang realize the need for a volunteer search and rescue team in the city.

After Blue Sky was set up, Zhang quit his job and went full-time in it. In 2008, Blue Sky partnered with the Beijing branch of the Red Cross Society of China. In September 2010, it officially registered with the Beijing Civil Affairs Bureau as a non-profit organization.

Before Blue Sky's official registration, it could not receive donations. Zhang said that except for its missions to Guizhou and Qinghai whose expenses were afforded by the Red Cross Society of China, other missions of Blue Sky were all self-funded.

"Volunteers drove their own cars, brought their own equipment to search and rescue missions, and paid for food and lodging out of their own pockets," said Zhang. "Even the cost of training was shared by team members."

Zhang said that as it has registered as a non-profit organization, Blue Sky can now accept donations from the public, and the government shall pay for its operation costs.

Blue Sky has received equipment, 600-square-meter of space and professional training from relevant organizations such as the Red Cross Society of China, the Beijing branch of the Red Cross Society of China and the China International Search and Rescue Team.

Seeking excellence

In China, there are three categories of search and rescue forces. The first category consists of the army, police, firefighters, reserve forces and militia. The second is comprised of professional forces under certain industries or companies. The third includes volunteer search and rescue teams of different sizes, which are springing up across the country.

"There are more than 100 volunteer search and rescue teams in China, yet 95 percent of them are not well organized," said Zhang.

Blue Sky aspires to become a high-caliber, well-equipped and disciplined team.

Recently, the group set up a number of specialized units; a dive rescue unit, a sniffer dog unit and a cave rescue unit, the first of its kind in China.

To join Blue Sky, an applicant is required to go through military training and training in medical treatment and wireless communication. Those who pass the examinations in the above categories become reserve members.

They can then participate in search and rescue operations, and receive more training. Zhang said that about 60 of the 500 plus members in Blue Sky's Beijing Branch have passed all categories of required assessments.

In addition to training on skills, Zhang emphasizes discipline. He said that search and rescue volunteers are different from ordinary volunteers for they are there to save people's lives. "If volunteers do not remain orderly and disciplined at the search and rescue scene, they will put themselves, the people they want to help and other team members at risk," he said.

A problem facing volunteer search and rescue teams like Blue Sky is the difficulty in securing adequate insurance for team members. "We've talked to insurance companies many times, and they refuse to insure us. They said that we are not eligible because we are volunteers," Zhang said.

What Blue Sky can do is to buy outdoor safety insurance for volunteers, but the insurance only covers safety risks while traveling to and from disaster sites, not safety at the search and rescue sites. So before volunteers set out on every operation, they are reminded that they themselves have to be responsible for any consequence.

Zhang believes search and rescue volunteers should know their limits and not endanger themselves and others by taking undue risks.

He frequently tells Blue Sky members, "We should be heroes, but more importantly, living heroes."

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