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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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  • From: "David C. Kovar" <kovar@1srg.org>
  • To: "'Mounted search and rescue'" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [MSAR] Re: helmets in MSAR
  • Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 10:54:37 -0800

Good morning,

As SAR professionals, on foot, on ATVs, on horses, on ropes, or in aircraft
we tend to push deeper into environmental conditions that increase the
chance that we might come to harm. We will go out into weather that we'd
normally avoid, we go deeper into into rough terrain that we'd normally
explore, and we do this with some sense of urgency as "search is an
emergency". All of these factors increase the level of risk involved in the
SAR activity. As part of the "personal safety" rule, we take steps to
minimize these risks wherever possible. This includes training, evaluating
scene safety, working as a team, and equipment.

As the original poster said, and my insurance agent agrees, regular riding
is considered a "high risk" activity. The increased risks due to the SAR
environment would certainly put it in the "high risk" category in many
people's minds.

Head trauma is a concern for horseback riders in any area and helmets are
common in the arena and required by many non-SAR equine organizations. With
the increased risks of SAR, it would seem prudent to wear a helmet.

I wear a climbing helmet while doing rock and alpine SAR. I wear a
swiftwater helmet (frequently my climbing helmet) while working in or near
the water. I wear a flight helmet while flying helicopters. I wear an ATV
helmet while riding ATVs. Not wearing a helmet while riding a horse seems
extremely odd by comparison.

-David

-----Original Message-----
From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Jorene Downs
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2003 10:15 AM
To: Mounted search and rescue
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Re: helmets in MSAR



----- Original Message -----
From: "Pennington-Boggio's" <pennbo@bbv.net>
To: "Mounted search and rescue" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2003 10:34 PM
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Re: helmets in MSAR


> I'll weigh in a bit here! <G> First we need to think about why
> high-risk activities involve helmets. Comfort is not the first
> concern. Second is to remember that just regular riding is considered
> a high-risk activity. (ask your insurance carrier) The kind of riding
> we do can be major high-risk. [...]

Rule 1 in SAR is personal safety. What kind of high risk riding are you
doing?

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


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