feel or hear the victim?

Question

those long poles the rescue team pop in and out of the snow after an avalanche

Answer 1

Those are probes and they are used to feel where the victim is.

Answer 2

They touch objects under the snow. Could be the victim, or a backpack, log, rock, whatever.

The person holding the probe will gently put it in the snow until it either touches something, and then dig to see what it is.

The probe and shovel are the last tools used though, as the rescue team will use beacons first to determine the approximate location of the victim.

You have to be careful with the probes though. They have pointy ends. No point in finding the victim, and then stabbing him in the eye before digging him or her out!