Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <una@lanl.gov>]

From the discussion on other SAR lists, it appears most trained SAR
resources are staying home waiting to be called, while inexperienced
volunteers are swamping the phone lines to get on waiting lists to
be called.  This is an example of SAR culture clash, I think.  In 
Texas, authority for SAR lies with the local government, usually a
city or (more often) county.  And SAR units may volunteer for duty.
In New Mexico, an adjacent state, we may not respond unless called
and it is not cool to volunteer ourselves to be called.  We may be
called only by our state SAR authority...which AFAIK has not been
contacted for mutual aid by the authorities in Texas.  Instead, SAR
managers in Texas have been posting to the SAR-L list with problems
such as:  there are no motel rooms vacant within 20 miles, and it is
cold and raining, and the staging areas don't have hot showers.  So
what?!!!  Trained SAR volunteers would not expect any such creature
comforts, and can provide their own shelter and supplies.  Anyway,
the SAR folk in Texas evidently don't need more help;  there is talk
of searching only a few more 250x200 meter grid areas.  

        Una Smith
        Santa Fe County Sheriff's Posse, New Mexico