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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] Standards for mounted SAR

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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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  • From: "Irvin Lichtenstein " <ilichten1@verizon.net>
  • To: "'Mounted search and rescue'" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] Standards for mounted SAR
  • Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:33:52 -0800

It is a big mess because we rarely respond across the entire nation.
For instance, can you legally cross a state line with a horse in tow?
Do you keep all the veterinary paperwork required, as well as the commercial
driver's license, Fed DoT paperwork, and both states' taxes and fees for
commercial vehicles up to date? Probably not. I have been told by emergency
managers that they will intervene on our behalf if they call us across a
state line under EMAC but I have yet to see an EMA employee tell a state vet
inspector what to do.

Another consideration is mutual aid. The fire company I run with always has
mutual aid, even on an automatic alarm call. It is important that all the
fire companies in the county, and surrounding counties, talk the same
language, and even that hose threads match. Where is your mutual aid? Is it
in the region or out of region? Do you even have mutual aid or is it just
everybody comes? State SAR councils in some areas have published "standards"
that are not easily enforced. In others it is the state or local government.

Lastly, there is professionalism. There is no difference between a
professional and a volunteer. There are big differences between volunteers
and career personnel. If you have to develop your own training program to
become professional having a guide is helpful. In the fire service we have
IFSTA, the NFPA, ProBoard and IFSAC. The cops have POST, CALEC, and various
federally funded programs. Even the telecommunicators have APCO.

Currently, there are several types of search, more types of rescue, and just
as many sets of standards. Some are widely accepted, and therefore the de
facto level of care, some are legislated (particularly EMS) and are
therefore de jure, and others are just good ideas (or bad ideas). Finally,
the guy who pays for the training gets some say as well.

The last, who pays, may be the most influential in the adoption of a
voluntary standard as a mandatory one. When grant money became tied to
training levels as defined by the NFPA for firefighters every fire
department adopted the NFPA job description rather than loose federal or
state dollars. Does it make for better firefighters? Nobody knows but
working fires are down and firefighter deaths are steady. There have been
very few court cases to establish what is the level of care for search and
most government agencies avoid the question by simply stating that missing
people are missing people-- whatever we do is more than we are required to
do by law.

You have a choice in designing your training. You can formally adopt ASTM,
NFPA, or teach to NASAR tests. Will they make you a better searcher? Nobody
knows and since statistics on searches are few and far between nobody will
probably ever know. And so far, nobody cares. Does your insurance company
ask about your training program? The fire company's doesn't. Their policy
is to fight until the cost is excessive, regardless of outcome or impact.
VFIS doesn't care about training except that that they cover training
activities under our public liability and professional liability sections.
And they won't cover dog bites.

What we are seeing is a sudden increase in the formation of mounted units by
people who may be "clueless". They are seeking advice, guidance, and "the
right way to do this". Unfortunately, the regional service areas differ
significantly from one to another and if a county is the smallest response
zone, even within a county. If they can avoid 20 years of reinventing the
wheel by using a published document they should.

What skills does a mounted searcher need? Obviously, they need to know how
to ride and related horse care skills. They need to know how to determine
where they are in the world. They need to be able to recognize clues on the
ground and have some elementary tracking skills. They should be able to
communicate with the search manager to report their findings. If you expect
to find people who need immediate care then first aid or some more advanced
EMS skills are needed. They should know the local laws that govern their
operations. And finally they should know something about search management
so they can understand the tasks they are given and how they fit into the
overall activity. By the way, we don't teach grid or line search anymore
because it is a waste of trained manpower. I can teach "spontaneous
volunteers" to grid search in ten minutes when I want an area trampled to
death.

Irv Lichtenstein


-----Original Message-----
From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of E.S.
Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 9:01 AM
To: Mounted search and rescue
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Standards for mounted SAR

in short : it's one big mess and every group has it's big ego, "no standards

for the standards"; however I believe that one can't have too much
learning.. we'll always see the old timer that don't want to change
anything and think their way is the only way... I have the NASAR
certifications , and I'm always happy to have more knowledge and training by

any organization. I also have many hours in the filed doing things the way
the local sheriff wants it done. but I just know more... and hope to do my
volunteer work better. that the point isn't it?





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