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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] Re: ICS and SAR group structure

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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Jorene Downs" <Jorene@CEOates.com>
  • Cc: <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] Re: ICS and SAR group structure
  • Date: Thu Feb 6 03:30:51 2003

----- Original Message -----
From: "Una Smith" <una@lanl.gov>
> Jorene Downs <Jorene@ceoates.com> asked Una Smith:
> >I'm not sure I understand how you're set up? Or perhaps I need
clarification
> >on what you mean by being specialized?
>
> In New Mexico, authority for all SAR activities lies with the State
> Police. They take citizens' reports, do initial assessment, a hasty
> search, etc., then hand the mission to SAR, which is almost entirely
> volunteer. [...]

Thanks for the clear explanation. In CA, the County Sheriff's Office is the
agency responsible for dealing with missing persons, etc., in their county.
Counties coordinate under OES (CA Office of Emergency Services) for SAR,
disaster, etc., and the state is divided into zones for Mutual Aid. Requests
for outside assistance goes first to the Mutual Aid group of nearby
counties, then escalates to state level. Each county has a SAR Coordinator.
At the request of OES all the SAR Coordinators developed guidelines for SAR
standards so requests for aid would all be in a common language with common
expectations for training levels. (The rough draft I wrote for the new
county SAR standards to meet or exceed state guideleines should be in a
final mode later this month.)

The County Sheriff's Office will notify the SAR Coordinator in the event of
a potential SAR situation. He identifies any resources to respond. If the
Hasty Search is not successful, additional resources are called. In the
county volunteer groups we have 3 MSAR, 4 groundpounder, 1 alpine, search
dogs, aero squadron, CAP ... and upon request many of can respond with 4x4,
quads, motorcycles, etc. There are a couple of rescue choppers in the area,
including the big monster from Lemoore AFB in an adjacent county. The
Sheriff's Office draws from 20 deputy groundpounders, and provides sworn
management and staff as necessary. We also have sworn and volunteer
Swiftwater Rescue (Kern and Kaweah Rivers), a Dive Team, and a UrbanSAR
Light team. Several people have mine and cave rescue skills. Those more
focused in technical rescue are usually groundpounders.

Many of our calls are in the mountains (Sierra Nevadas) in national parks
and forests, where we respond at the request of the rangers. Skill sets vary
from one group to another. Training is evolving to countywide to share
instructor knowledge and other resources. (I've been nudging for this
countywide coordinated training for years!) Some specialty teams are
personnel combined from more than one organization.

> > The preferred skills for a
> >single MSAR team on a remote Wilderness SAR might include mantracking,
> >technical rescue, EMT / paramedic, packing. This would be in addition to
> >solid groundpounder SAR skills and MSAR backcountry training.
>
> [...] We need more training in technical rescue.

I think most of us can say that. <g> I guess the thing to remember is not
everybody is suited for - or capable of - dangling at the end of a rope for
a high angle rescue. But everyone in the field should be competent with
ropes, knots, commands, etc., to provide a reliable support team for that
rescuer. Same kind of situation is true in Swiftwater Rescue - most of the
team is assigned some kind of shore duty. And all the tasks are important. I
would be almost the last choice to send in the water, but I am well valued
valued for my excellent aim with a throw rope as the downstream safety - I
reckon all those years playing softball are coming in handy! ;)

> >If the subject is down a cliff or badly injured, can your MSAR team
handle
> >it without calling for the chopper that may not be able to respond?
>
> [...] We are not equipped or trained for high angle extraction,
> but many New Mexico SAR groups specialize in technical rescue; for a
> search in an area with cliffs (or volcanic pipes, or caves, or mines)
> the IC will call out these technical groups. I think it is better to
> leave ropes and climbing to the experts.

And there is the glitch I see. How can you be sure who will find the missing
subject, or where? If a team locates the missing person, and that person is
in a situation requiring immediate extraction, I wouldn't want to be
standing there saying "I'm calling for the technical rescue team. Hang on
for a few hours, OK?" Sometimes the situation is unavoidable, or the rescue
too complex for the average tech rescuer, but I strongly believe that every
team in the field should be competent with basic rope rescue skills. And be
prepared to use them.

> A larger problem is that IC doesn't always know how
> to use us.

That's an education issue, and not an unusual situation. Typical SAR
management won't have any personal knowledge regarding horses or MSAR. It
might help to set up a meeting to discuss things, and identify opportunity.
It may / may not be appropriate to have someone from MSAR at the CP to
provide input as needed.

I was initially assigned to the IC as the "resident expert" on horses so Ops
and Logistics had someone around with a clue to answer questions regarding
the mounted teams. Rather than twiddle my thumbs between questions <g> I set
out to learn other skills that I could apply at the IC. With ongoing SAR and
disaster-related education added to my knowledge of horses, and background
in management and in law enforcement, I found I could fill / assist most
positions at the IC as needed. Meanwhile, I've made opportunities to spend
some time with IC/Ops to discuss what MSAR can/can't do, what needs there
are, and identify potential opportunity. Then the Sheriff's Office reassigns
personnel, and I start the IC / Ops / Logistics "training" on MSAR all over
again. ;)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jorene Downs
Tulare Co, CA
SAR, MSAR, Swiftwater Rescue, US&R






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