Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <una@lanl.gov>]

Sandy Miller <Artstone@aol.com> asked me offline about my unit,
but the details may be useful to others here.

Santa Fe County Sheriff's Posse was incorporated in August 1941
and has been in continuous operation since then as a SAR unit.
In the 50's and 60's the posse was also very much into playing
polo, especially cowboy polo;  our building is decorated with
trophies and certificates attesting to this.  All our business
is conducted at a monthly meeting, which is always at the same
time on the same day each month, so no reminders are needed.
Our callouts work as follows.  We are listed in the New Mexico
state SAR Resource Directory, a book issued to every Field
Commander (FC).  The FC assigned to run a SAR mission becomes
Incident Commander (IC), decides if we are needed, and if so
calls us at our contact numbers in the Resource Directory (3
numbers, ranked by priority).  The first contact reached by the
IC calls everyone in the posse and then calls the IC back to
say what resources we will provide.  All this usually happens
before 6am.  There are now about 20 of us, 12 active members
and 8 provisionals;  on most searches we can provide only one
or two teams.  A team is not less than 3 riders.  This is for
two reasons.  (1) We are always training new members, and they
should ride with two experienced members.  (2) Often we search
remote mountain areas where cell phones and radios do not work.
In the event we find the subject, at least one rider must stay
with the subject while two riders return to base camp for help.
We do NOT put the subject on a horse, alone or doubled with a
rider. 

        Una Smith
        (Santa Fe County Sheriff's Posse)

Los Alamos National Laboratory, MS K-710, Los Alamos, NM  87545