Valdez Avalanche Center Director, Instructor, Rescue Coordinator
Sean Wisner has been active with avalanche forecasting, education and rescue since 1988. He is the Fire Chief and Rescue Technician for Alyeska Pipeline in Valdez. He also volunteers as a team leader and instructor for the Valdez Search and Rescue Team. Sean has worked for a number of years as a helicopter ski guide in Valdez, as a high altitude mountain guide on Denali (20,320′) and Aconcagua (22,841′), and as a snowmachine tour guide and whitewater raft guide across the state.
Sean is a team leader and instructor for the Valdez Search and Rescue Team, and teaches several avalanche awareness classes to the community of Valdez annually in addition to training the SAR team in avalanche rescue and forecasting, crevasse rescue, and glacier travel. He has been involved with mountain rescue teams in a variety of North American locations for over 20 years, and has a great passion for mountain safety and education.
Sean lives in Valdez with his children, and enjoys back country skiing and snowboarding, snowmachining, kiteboarding, surfing, mountaineering, mountain biking, and playing mandolin. He is a strong advocate that what AAIC does is about the people that we serve.
- Education and Certifications:
- Professional Member, American Avalanche Association (AAA)
- Bachelor of Arts, Appalachian State University (1993)
- Level II AIARE
- State of Alaska: Firefighter I
- State of Alaska: Fire Service Instructor I
- Swift Water Rescue Technician II
- Confined Space / High Angle Rescue Technician II and Instructor