About

Patti grew up in Brighton, New York outside of Rochester, figure skating and eventually ski racing with Bristol Mountain and Brighton High School. Patti was supervisor of the ski patrol at Copper Mountain for 23 years. She started the ski patrol and search and rescue dog programs in Summit County. This eventually led to nearly every Colorado ski area and search and rescue group incorporating an avalanche dog program.

Patti married Dan Burnett in 1984 and as a Search and Rescue Group Mission Coordinator, Dan has greatly contributed to the utilization of avalanche and search dogs in finding lost and buried victims. Dan likes to brag that he’s survived more avalanche burials than any other human being. Of course, he fails to mention that these avalanche burials are actually caves that are quite meticulously constructed for the training of avalanche dogs. However, Dan probably has been involved in the recovery of more avalanche victims in Colorado than anyone else.

After Patti left Copper to raise her daughters, Bethany and Rachel, she continued working her dogs in avalanche, air scent and water searches as a team leader with the Summit County Rescue Group, as well as helping to train other handlers throughout the US (including Alaska) and Europe.

She has spoken and led field sessions at numerous schools in Colorado, Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and California.

Patti is now retired from ski patrol and search and rescue work. However, Cadence, her four year old Golden Retriever, is a certified therapy dog, and the hope is that we will be able to expand to assist search and rescue, and other EMS responses by offering support to victims, their friends and families, and EMS workers during appropriate scenarios.