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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] equine vs 4 wheeler

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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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  • From: Una Smith <una.smith@att.net>
  • To: Mounted search and rescue <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] equine vs 4 wheeler
  • Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2005 21:06:33 -0700

Pam in Utah asked:
>Is 3 callouts and 2 stand-bys a fair percentage out of 15 missions?

Pam,

Considering that your unit is not used in the first operational
period of a SAR mission, those are excellent numbers. The more
calls you get, the more opportunities you will have to show your
stuff. Attitude is important, and here the proper attitude is
gratitude for the calls you get, rather than resentment for the
calls you don't get.

Another thought: if the SAR unit is much larger than your MSAR
unit, they can provide more field teams than yours can. That is
a natural reason to call them first: less effort, because one
call gets more resources, perhaps even enough resources for the
mission.

Why night practices only in summer? They are so much easier to
schedule in winter, when nights are long.

Have you asked your SO what skills and experience are needed for
first operational periods? Teams that are called first usually
need not only hasty and other search skills, but also rescue
skills. That is because teams deployed in the first operational
period are more likely to find the subject, all else being equal.
Most SAR missions finish in the first operational period.

Are your MSAR field teams given trail-bound task assignments?
Do your members' navigational skills permit efficient and safe
cross-country travel? If so, then you might "show" your skills
by taking appropriate short cuts off trails, with a GPS saving
your track. Upon return to IB, deliver your GPS and matching
data cable to whoever is doing map support for the mission, and
have them upload your team's track onto their mission map. In
my experience, all SAR managers have been told that horses walk
faster and farther than people, but they don't really "get" it
until they see, together on a map, the tracks of groundpounder
teams and horse teams. Another benefit is that they can see at
a glance exactly how your team carried out its task assignment.

Una Smith
New Mexico




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