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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] Mutual Aid

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  • From: "IRVIN LICHTENSTEIN" <ilichten1@verizon.net>
  • To: "'Mounted search and rescue'" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] Mutual Aid
  • Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 10:41:36 -0400

Pennsylvania EMA uses a list supplied by the PA State Search and Rescue
Council but this list is not all inclusive of capable organizations. Many
cannot operate independently of their sponsors (EMA's or other municipal
agencies), don't desire to be on a statewide callout list (PA is about 400 x
150 miles), or desire to travel to the required council meetings. You can
check them out at www.psarc.org. In most cases the SAR organization
negotiates with local authorities for recognition and dispatch support.

There is a bill pending in the State Senate that would require wilderness
SAR to be become licensed EMS providers if they do any patient care in the
field, even first aid. It has passed the State House and is now in committee
in the Senate. Currently SAR is an exempt provider in Pennsylvania, only
needing to be either BLS only, or have its own command doctor for more
advanced levels that would require medical command authorization. There will
be a 2 year period after passage for development of regulations and phase
in.

Organizational liability insurance is a requirement in Pennsylvania. There
is no sovereign immunity. The volunteer responder is an employee of the
municipality in which the responder organization is resident when on
official business (Act 102). In the past any mutual aid claims were
subrogated by the home insurer to the municipality where the event causing
the claim occurred. If the agency routinely served several municipalities
the premium could be apportioned amongst them. A new statewide mutual aid
statute revises this formula but only applies to agreements made under the
new law.

There are also mutual aid agreements built in to the regional 9-1-1 acts for
police, fire, and EMS providers dispatched by county centers or using the
9-1-1 system. Currently this applies to most of Pennsylvania where E-9-1-1
and Phase II Cellular is the current standard of care. There is one urban
county without Phase II and it is installing the system in a new PSAP rather
than installing it in the old center.

In the end it depends on the official in charge of the search. Most dispatch
centers dispatch mutual aid based on request from the OIC, and only if the
OIC says to go to a PEMA resource list will it get used. Also, the OIC gets
approval on SAR mutual aid since it is his incident, not ours.

Irv Lichtenstein
-----Original Message-----
From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of T'mi Fi
Sent: Saturday, July 12, 2008 9:51 AM
To: Mounted search and rescue
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Tidewater VA Area





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