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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] Fitness Requirements for MSAR Unit Members

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  • From: "David leadbetter" <dleadbetter1@aapt.net.au>
  • To: "Mounted search and rescue" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] Fitness Requirements for MSAR Unit Members
  • Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2010 11:45:45 +0800

Irv's comments interested me
Our unit has about 30 members,including ground staff.
95% are female.
7 of us are 55+[ we boast two grandma's].
probably another ten would be over 40.
The balance vary,the youngest being about 18.
Some of us have various issues with backs,knees etc.On the whole we are all Quite fit as is the way with most horsey people.
HOWEVER if in depth medicals were required I do not doubt half of us would flunk.I myself have a very bad knee and can not run to save myself, I also have one or two tummy problems.
my own problems in no way prevent me from riding or performing my duties within our unit.

cheers

Linda L
SES mounted Section
Western Australia

----- Original Message ----- From: "Irvin Lichtenstein " <ilichten1@verizon.net>
To: "'Mounted search and rescue'" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 12:08 PM
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Fitness Requirements for MSAR Unit Members


I would presume it depends a lot on how the MSAR is organized. Those that
are part of a police department or fire department would adhere to the
parent department's physical exam policy. For instance most fire or EMA
based units might use NFPA 1500 series health and safety standards while
police based units would use the police department's equivalent. NGO's
might use anything.

I can tell you that imposing such standards can be catastrophic in nature to
the unit once formed and may be to the members. Our fire relief
organization decided to fund physicals for every member of the volunteer
fire department and then required a clearance to run under NFPA 1500. The
physicals were administered by the occupational health section of a local
hospital which does physicals for many township public works and police
departments. About one third of the volunteer firefighters failed the exam,
many having hospitalizations result. Some were forcibly retired, others
sidelined for over a year until the issues could be resolved. Many lost
insurance coverage, became uninsurable, and lost employment or reemployment
possibilities because they now had conditions that kept them out of normal
group medical coverage or "normal duty" at their regular jobs, most of which
they had been functioning at normally for years.

These were cases of deteriorated hearing, reduced lung capacity, having a
cardiac incident on a stress test, having to wear corrective lenses to pass
eye exams, age related problems from taking a physical designed for 20 year
olds at age 60, etc.

In one extreme case a member whose heart capacity was reduced, and evidence
indicated it had been for as much as 20 years, was deemed uninsurable even
by the high risk carrier the fire company uses and lost over $500 000 in on
duty only AD&D coverage, but was not eligible for disability benefits. His
health insurance premium and co-pays just doubled under the only plan that
will take him, Adult Basic Care, a state government run program for
uninsured adults who don't qualify for free under Medicade.

Many volunteer riders are older, retired persons, or at least middle aged,
who have grew up smoking, drinking, working hard and playing hard and their
health reflects this abuse. Many of us ride because we can't hike through
the woods anymore, or at least not as many miles as we used to.

You have to be in reasonably good shape to tack up a horse, particularly
with a big, heavy, western roping rig and all the stuff we carry. If you
impose a standard beyond, "Don't be a hazard to your team mates," and
enforce it with physicals you will loose riders, and experience you cannot
afford to loose.

Irv Lichtenstein
SE PA SAR

-----Original Message-----
From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Una Smith
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 4:04 PM
To: msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org
Cc: Steve Hudson
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Fitness Requirements for MSAR Unit Members

Steve Hudson wrote:
I'd like to know what MSAR units require for member physical or
aerobic fitness to perform mounted SAR. You can reply off list if you
prefer.

Thanks.


***********************************************************************
Steve Hudson

Vice President: Maine Association for Search and Rescue
Member: Mount Desert Island Search and Rescue
Bar Harbor, Maine, USA

P.O. Box 1266
Southwest Harbor, Maine 04679
<shudsonme@myfairpoint.net>
207-244-9936 Home
207-244-9591 Work

Hi Steve,

I am forwarding this to MSAR-Riders@lists.ibiblio.org. Please share
with us a summary of the responses you get.

Thanks,

Una Smith
New Mexico
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