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msar-riders - [MSAR] Re: ICS and SAR group structure

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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Una Smith <una@lanl.gov>
  • Cc: msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [MSAR] Re: ICS and SAR group structure
  • Date: Wed Feb 5 10:54:01 2003

Jorene Downs <Jorene@ceoates.com> asked Una Smith:
>I'm not sure I understand how you're set up? Or perhaps I need clarification
>on what you mean by being specialized?

In New Mexico, authority for all SAR activities lies with the State
Police. They take citizens' reports, do initial assessment, a hasty
search, etc., then hand the mission to SAR, which is almost entirely
volunteer. The state is divided into Areas. Each Area has a pool
of Area Commanders (AC), who rotate on call. The one who takes the
call is Incident Commander (IC). Every AC has a Resource Book, one
page per SAR group. Using the book, IC calls out the resources she
decides are needed and available. Groundpounders, ATVs, 4x4s, dogs,
horses, technical ropes, ham radio etc., and CAP (Civil Air Patrol)
all tend to be separate groups. In the immediate vicinity of Santa
Fe, there are maybe 5 MSAR groups, 1 or 2 dog groups, 1 4x4 group,
1 CAP group, 1 ham group, and 2 groundpounder groups. Both of these
are large (I think) and specialize in technical rescue.


> The preferred skills for a
>single MSAR team on a remote Wilderness SAR might include mantracking,
>technical rescue, EMT / paramedic, packing. This would be in addition to
>solid groundpounder SAR skills and MSAR backcountry training.

We want everyone to have basic SAR training (equivalent of SARTECH II);
current basic first aid and CPR; facility with radios (we use both FRS
and "police" radios), GPS, compass and map, compass and no map; and
basic track awareness. A few of us are medical professionals, but more
training for the rest of us would be good. Also, we would like some of
us to have more training in ICS, ham radio licenses, etc. At this time
we don't run a hasty team, but perhaps we should. We need to be more
aware of what is going on in SAR statewide, more liason with other MSAR
groups and other specialty groups. We need more training in technical
rescue.


>If the subject is down a cliff or badly injured, can your MSAR team handle
>it without calling for the chopper that may not be able to respond?

We can probably handle badly injured; we try to ensure all our teams
have advanced medical skills (we organize field teams en route to each
mission). We are not equipped or trained for high angle extraction,
but many New Mexico SAR groups specialize in technical rescue; for a
search in an area with cliffs (or volcanic pipes, or caves, or mines)
the IC will call out these technical groups. I think it is better to
leave ropes and climbing to the experts.


>Specialization can also limit what kind of assignment the team receives.
>I'm obviously a proponent of versatility. ;)

This is true. But we are a small group, so we can take only so many
of them anyway. A larger problem is that IC doesn't always know how
to use us.

Una Smith
Santa Fe County Sheriff's Posse, New Mexico





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