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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] Home Land Security

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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Diane Whetsel c/o MSAR Maintainer <msar@ibiblio.org>
  • To: MSAR Riders <MSAR-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Cc:
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] Home Land Security
  • Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 13:29:53 -0500

[This is from Diane Whetsel; it was held due to too much
included text, a digest which I have deleted. -Una ]

There is a disaster first responder class being given in WV at the end
of April. It is a class being given by Teresa McPherson from VA Task
Force I, and Ann Wickman from CO Task Force I. I will be there to learn
how they set the class and to lend a hand where needed.
Local SAR/MSAR need to get on the band wagon and get dome USAR training
under their belts. The National FEMA/DHS system is just not equipped to
be on scene as fast as we would like and if local resources were trained
in first responder USAR skills, more lives could be saved in those first
precious hours.

I am anxious to learn what skills they are going to be teaching so that
I will have a better idea how to set up and train local SAR resources.
This class will be given mainly to K-9 units, but I'm sure there is a
way to incorporate MSAR into the works. I don't know how most MSAR units
work, but with K-9s, especially for FEMA/DHS, If we are called and it
turns out that a K-9 is not the appropriate resource, or we find
ourselves in a Haz Mat situation, we are to take the K-9 out of the area
and work in whatever capacity that we can.
As a K-9 Search Specialist with FEMA/DHS, my job might be to cut up
fallen trees from a structure with a chainsaw, or even put on a HazMat
suit and work a Decon station. We are cross trained for many jobs to
prepare us for just about anything that might come along.
I don't expect any of you to dawn a Type A HazMat suit, but there are
many ways that you can be of assistance in a disaster without a horse if
you are trained in some USAR and most of you already have skills that
can be used in a USA situation. Even manning the com's statin can be a
great help. I'm sure that many of you can run a chainsaw. You just need
to be trained how to look for potential hazards that you can run into
that are unique to USAR vs. SAR/MSAR.

In short, working a collapsed structure is not like a hike or mounted
ride in the woods, and while you want to help and certainly already have
many skills and training that you can use in a disaster, please get
additional training before running into a disaster scene.

Safety is everything both for the responders and to the victims.
IMHO ;0)

B. Diane Whetsel EMT I
Search Dogs Southwest
NASAR SAR Tech II
FEMA DHS Canine Disaster Readiness Evaluator
FEMA/DHS NMTF I, CSS
911BC, Search and Recovery

If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they
went.
~~Will Rogers

usark9@warpdriveonline.com





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