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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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  • From: "Jorene Downs" <Jorene@CEOates.com>
  • To: "MSAR-List" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [MSAR] Introduction
  • Date: Wed Dec 4 16:51:00 2002

Hi - I finally got around to joining discussion. Una, I'm glad you contacted
SARnews because the new newsletter reminded me!

My name is Jorene. I'm an ex-cop - an old warhorse who couldn't stay away
from "emergency response" <g> - and got involved in MSAR about 8 years ago.
I've been around horses most of my life, and we currently have a herd of
about 15 - from weanling to senior. My daughter and I are partners breeding
Paint horses in a small family breeding operation. (If you're curious, our
web site is www.CEOates.com ) I'm also a grandma, and I started my
granddaughter in "let's play SAR" when she was 4, complete with her own
fanny pack. At age 5 Jade already has a decent eye for tracking and can
handle the 2-way radio. <g> And I've got a couple of decades in the
telecommunications industry, mostly retired now from management consulting.
But my fascination with taking advantage of technology continues ... even in
contemporary tools for SAR management and field application.

I'm in Tulare County, CA. The county is about half in the valley - mostly
flatlands - and half in the rugged and steep Sierra Nevada mountain range.
The valley region is primarily agricultural. The mountains climb past 12,000
feet up to Mount Whitney. So we respond for SAR in anything from extreme
summer heat in the valley to high altitude mountain rescue. Mounted SAR
response has been around in this area officially since the 1940s. There are
about 50 riders in our local MSAR units, and a "respond now" call-out in the
middle of a weekday will usually result in at least a dozen riders. There
are typically more MSAR riders than groundpounders, but we have more
groundpounders in training. And there are times in the valley when MSAR
personnel respond for foot search. So we need versatility and cross training
to be effective.

I'm a NASAR SARTECH II equivalent (never got around to getting certified -
don't find much official NASAR training on the west coast) with focused
additional training in SAR management since I'm usually assigned to
Operations at the CP. Handy to have someone at the CP with a clue about
horses when you're sending out perhaps 2 dozen MSAR riders!

There have been recent changes recommended to create statewide standards in
training, and I'm currently working on the rough draft to establish new
county standards for all our SAR responders to meet or exceed the state
guidelines. This will include defining training requirements (classroom and
field) and gear requirements for different levels, based on a level 1-4
system. I'll be writing much of the basic training material for the county
... actually rewriting a bunch of training handouts I already have. Locally
we're transitioning from individual organizations doing all their own
training to countywide joint training for the fundamentals. All personnel
participating in SAR will have the same basic training on the ground, then
go on to specialize in Search Dogs, MSAR, more advanced technical rescue ...
or whatever. And since we have a bunch of newbies I'm growing gray hair
trying to figure out how all the training/instructing will fit on my
calendar! ;-/

Nothing is set in concrete yet, but for MSAR I'm anticipating 4 training
levels ... in addition to the ground training. Base level will be the novice
to MSAR in basic training with their horse. Fundamental response level would
be the day rider in the valley. Add wilderness training for the riders we'd
send into the backcountry since they would potentially set up a spike camp
and search from there. Advanced level would have higher levels of technical
rescue and more medical and "pack out the injured" training. Or something.
Perhaps more advanced tracking and specialized training and use level 4 as
the MSAR Hasty Team. Dunno. I'm still fiddling with the specs, and will
likely be looking for input here.

We're also planning on providing more cross-training for disaster response
since we do that as well, combining the Wilderness SAR skills with Urban SAR
(US&R) Basic training in rubble search and such. Might be able to recruit a
few more from US&R Basic for US&R Light, which includes collapsed structure
reinforcement and penetration. Out here in the boonies we're more likely to
be responding to floods than collapsed structures, but I reckon the more
cross training I have, the better prepared I'll be for whatever kind of
emergency response is required. With that thought in mind I'm also a member
of the Swiftwater Rescue team - we have the Kern and Kaweah rivers in our
county - and have monthly training with the Red Cross for disaster response,
primarily responding to fire so it doesn't conflict with my SAR response.

I'm also a member of Backcountry Horsemen (webmaster for our Unit) - which
is an excellent opportunity for all MSAR riders to gain backcountry related
education and experience to apply to SAR. We have members we can call on
with pack animals to assist in getting spike camp gear and food into more
remote areas when wilderness searches expand into greater distances and the
choppers can't easily access. Many of the local Backcountry Horsemen are
also MSAR.

I look forward to some great information sharing with this group - there is
always more to learn about SAR / MSAR, just like there is always more to
learn about horses. Thanks for firing up this List, Una!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jorene Downs
Tulare County, CA
SAR, MSAR, Swiftwater Rescue, US&R





  • [MSAR] Introduction, Jorene Downs, 12/04/2002

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