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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Thor Burfine" <thor@kelbysoft.net>
  • To: "'Mounted search and rescue'" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] Subject: What you really do
  • Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:10:01 -0600

I would go to your local sporting goods store and ask them to sponsor you.
Tell them you need some basic items to get your team in the field including
vests, shirts, GPS units and the likes.
 
I would not hit them for big ticket items until you have a proven team and can show them
clippings from the local paper and such.
 
Most smaller shops will sponsor you if you put them on your website and you agree
to mention them.
 
My 4-wheeler sponsor is a local motor cycle shop that has agreed to keep my 4-wheeler up and running
for searches when we cant use horses. In turn I agreed to put a 12 inch by 24 inch sign on the tailgate of
my 4-wheeler trailer that I transport it on. All it says is "Maintained by GOE Harley Davidson"
 
Any sponsor is good. They just shoved $1,150 worth of rear axle and final drive in it that I broke while on a search
 
As for the equine sponsors, they are a little harder.
There is one here that some what sponsors me. They keep my equine first aid kit stocked up to $1,000 per year
They don't require or even request acknowledgement - Steinhausers Feed
 
 


From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Lila Corey
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 1:39 PM
To: Mounted search and rescue
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Subject: What you really do

I am just trying to get a team started.  Our name will be TESAR for Triangle Equine SAR.  I have set up a non-profit status, etc.  Now what I need to know is a good source for vests, and clothing - that would be ground appropriate as well as horse appropriate?? Any web site out there that specialize in this? 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 6:23 AM
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Subject: What you really do

First, be careful using terms like grossly negligent.  People argue for years in court over that one.

No matter how big or small the organization responding it is the response that matters.  If you have insufficient resources to carry out a task you don’t do it.

Mounted is best at being mobile and using the detection capability of the horse.  We work 3 whenever possible because you can work a trail and the sides rapidly and reasonably thoroughly at a walk.  This has been the practice in this area since the we convinced the dog handlers that they worked better with support in 1980 or so.

 

If you need support to operate get it assigned. The dog people used to show up with a dog and maybe a backpack and they were going out alone. We made sure they had a radio and two ground people, one to talk and navigate, and one first aid and local knowledge.  

 

We carry a total of 10 VHF portables (field programmable) and 2 800 MHz trunks.  The local response volunteer fire company is supposed to have 1 radio for every seat in the apparatus and the field communications step van from the county has lots more and a tactical repeater.  So nobody goes out without a radio, a spare battery, and usually a second radio with a 3 man crew.  They may be on 2 different systems—800 Fire, 800 Police, or 150 SAR and PA DCNR but that doesn’t always hurt.

 

The idea of 3 is that 3 is minimal number to self recover a person.  Two can carry the third or if absolutely necessary, one can care while the other goes for assistance where the radio and cell phone don’t work or have been damaged.  Being left alone with a stranded horse or rider while waiting for assistance is no fun.  Once when out for pleasure with another we ended up in a creek that some beavers had modified since our last visit.  I was wearing a radio and had a cell phone in my pocket, neither of which kept working under water.  Eventually we got her horse out and sent her for help while continued to work on mine.  I  got him out and was on the way home when the barn owner passed us on the biggest Deere on the place draped with ropes.

 

As to line searches—unless you are working an area where every inch has to be trampled, they are a waste of trained resources.  Use skills available to the best of their ability and save man hours and miles.  A good tracker with 2 support personnel, a good tracking dog similarly supported,  MSAR working in 3’s can save lots of  other resources.  Even if the POD is only 50% in two passes you get it up to 75% and 3 is 87.5%, and time to move on to the next area.

 

Irv Lichtenstein

 


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