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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] Re: California MSAR individual certs?

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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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  • From: "Jorene Downs" <Jorene@CEOates.com>
  • To: <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] Re: California MSAR individual certs?
  • Date: Wed Dec 18 02:09:00 2002

From: "Una Smith" <una@lanl.gov>
> Jorene Downs <Jorene@ceoates.com> wrote:
> >In CA we have state guidelines for several SAR related training
> >topics, and that includes MSAR.
>
> In California, where can MSAR volunteers get these guidelines and
> get certified?

Information regarding any statewide standards / guidelines related to SAR
should be available through any state's Office of Emergency Services.

CA is currently in transition mode. At the request of OES, in recent months
SAR Coordinators representing each county met and put together proposed
guidelines for SAR. The proposed guidelines still needed to be approved by
Sheriffs - I don't yet have confirmation that occurred, but seem to recall
the meeting is this month. However, the man who runs the OES branch that
includes SAR clarified to me that these were to be considered guidelines,
not official standards. So it would not be mandatory for all counties to
comply. But for Mutual Aid or statewide response, all would then understand
the general requirements and expectations if - for example - there was a
call for Level 3 groundpounders.

My county intends to meet or exceed the state guidelines to implement as a
new county standard. We also need to address needs that are specific to our
county. (Gathering data and writing that all up is *one* of the SAR projects
I'm working on.)

To my knowledge there is no "national standard" for MSAR. I've never
actually seen anything published by my state, but several years ago attended
some training put on by Kathy Roberts - who lives in CA - who CA OES looks
to for MSAR training. I'm about to take on the task of identifying what
currently exists as CA MSAR standards / guidelines and come up with any
suggestions for change, particularly as applicable to our county.

I'll let you know more about current MSAR standards in CA when I know more.
But I know that locally riders will be required to meet a certain level of
general SAR training - SARTECH II equivalent - then add mounted training ...
and anyone responding to Wilderness SAR will require additional training.

FYI - I heard a rumor (unconfirmed) several months ago that NASAR and the
Mountain Rescue Association are chatting to see if they can somehow merge
standards to provide a single nationwide SAR standard.

~ ~ ~
Jorene Downs
Tulare County, CA
SAR, MSAR, Swiftwater Rescue, USAR





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