Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <una@lanl.gov>]

Jorene Downs wrote:
>I think I startled a few IC-types - mostly Fire Dept - today
>when I mentioned that trained MSAR can be effective contributors
>at some disaster situations.

I know what you mean.  It always amazes me how much respect
a person in uniform on horseback gets, even from people in
vehicles.  At a minimum, (trained!) mounted volunteers can be
a big asset in traffic management during disaster evacuations.
Plus, the horse can travel 3-5 mph for many hours on end, in
terrain where a vehicle cannot go (due to tree falls, steep
ditches, and other barriers).  That is far more distance and
speed than a person on foot can manage.  

(All MSAR riders should know their horse's normal speed in 
each gait.  A GPS is good for this, but it is sufficient to
time yourself riding from point A to point B on a map.  All
SAR volunteers should have a watch or other clock with them
in the field.)

The fact that horses can be taught to air-scent is nice but
not very useful if your horse hasn't been taught.  Read up
on air-scenting in SAR dog training books.
 
In my area, it seems the IC folks have no idea horses have
great night vision.  Which is perhaps the #2 reason we are
not being called for hasty searches.  (#1 is our response
time is long, compared to other types of SAR resources.)  
Elsewhere in New Mexico, MSAR resources often are called out
for searches at night.

Our callout last week was mission number 7 for 2003 in our
area, so our average for this year is currently 2/7 = 29%.
Pretty bad.  But pretty good, considering we aren't called
for hasty searches and/or night searches.

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