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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] Volunteer Mayhem? Yeah, enough already...

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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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  • From: "Jorene Downs" <Jorene@CEOates.com>
  • To: "'Mounted search and rescue'" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] Volunteer Mayhem? Yeah, enough already...
  • Date: Tue, 21 Jun 2011 17:42:02 -0700

Karen, your initial post was close to being off topic for this forum, which is likely why nobody directly addressed your 911 response concerns and focused on your volunteer comments. Our bad for not redirecting you on other topics.

 

The 911 call did not result in positive action. You should be communicating your 911 response concerns with the local authorities. Not having good response after the 911 call ... that is more of a localĀ  agency policy, procedures and training issue.

 

Failing to activate personnel trained in SAR is also dispatch / agency-related, since trained SAR doesn't deploy unless authorized and activated by the authority having jurisdiction.

 

If there is failure to have any trained SAR personnel available, paid or volunteer, this is also a concern to discuss with the local authorities.

 

The first step is to determine who / which agency or authority is legally responsible for search and rescue. There may be a line drawn for legal responsibility between traditional close to the road Fire search and rescue, and off road / wilderness SAR.

 

Even if the small agency's strategy is to rely on spontaneous volunteers as searchers, whoever is expected to manage the SAR operation should at least have training specific to command and control of a search incident to be more effective. (Many in LE / Fire think a search is a search is a methodical search, not understanding that SAR has different variables to consider, and understanding them can make the search plans and ops more effective.)

 

There are some operational areas where 911 dispatchers are trained and authorized to directly activate SAR resources instead of first dispatching law enforcement officers who may not have SAR-related training. (The questions you ask for a possible SAR situation are different and more comprehensive than a standard Missing Person report.) Direct activation reduces response time and gets trained SAR personnel to the scene faster.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jorene Downs

SAR, CERT, Emergency Communications

Mounted SAR

http://www.ceoates.com/msar

KJ6JCD




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