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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] Good outcome search

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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] Good outcome search
  • Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2008 20:38:17 -0600

Lois Guyon wrote:
>Today the LaSalle County (IL) Sheriff's MSAR Posse successfully completed a
>two day search at Starved Rock State Park in the Northwest region of
>Illinois.

Good on you all for sticking with it!

Something I didn't really understand prior to training as a planning
section chief, is the importance of developing "what if"s. What if the
subject is suicidal? Then by now the subject is not moving around and
not responsive and you plan your search accordingly ... but only after
working other, urgent what ifs.

What if the subject is a walk-away and the vehicle was left as a false
trail? That's a case where your efforts are wasted, but on the other
hand the scenario requires no attention by you because the subject and
clues are not there for you to find.

The remaining what ifs are a mixture of subject moving around and not;
of subject able to respond and not... Tactics then would be a mixture
of containment, hasty searches, attraction, etc., with the mix being
adjusted over time as the likelihood of the subject moving around much
grows smaller.

Lois, did your unit stay at base overnight, stay somewhere local, or
go home? Did some go home and fresh resources replace them the next
day? How did it work for you?

Una Smith
New Mexico




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