Mounted search and rescue

["Jeff Ezell" <eztech@pdq.net>]

Vince,

Good questions. Also good to see your sheriff asking pre-planning questions.

First I'd recommend getting ERI's "Handbook for Managing Land Search
Operations" at http://www.emergencyresponseintl.com/booksvideos.htm
Skip Stoffel has put together an excellent "search bible" you won't want to
be without when managing your search. They also offer courses.

Also consider taking the NASAR MLPI course when available and/or the manual
at their store
http://stores.promotionone.com/cgi-bin/proddetails.asp?ProdId=424

Some things to consider include:
1] Complete a good "Lost Person Questionnaire-this will give you inputs to
determine survival capabilities and level of "emergency urgency".
2] Consult "Lost Person Behavior Charts"-this will give you a measure of
travel distance based on individuals profile, time missing & topography,
etc.
3] Put together a written "Incident Action Plan" based on resources
available & needed, plus set up good communications for all teams (radios,
etc.).

At night MSAR can do many things:
4] Based on #1 & #2 plus many other variables, determine how and where to
establish "containment barriers" (at the far extent of probable trail travel
locations).
5] Set up "tracking traps" in trails to capture footprints at night and have
riders check them periodically for traffic. Advise foot searchers to avoid.
6] Send out MSAR hasty teams with man-tracking skills to likely spots that
would give sign.
7] Set up "attraction sites" within search area and outer perimeter with
strobe lights, campfires, periodic loud noise & then listen. Much like a
lighthouse & foghorn.
8] Equip riders with strobe lights & whistles as attractors, then stop &
listen.
9] Get trailing dogs to PLS ASAP to get direction of travel.
10] Pay close attention to your horse and any "alerts" they may give. They
are very aware of their environment at night.
11] Be prepared to stay out all night depending on the area.
12] Have a contingency plan w/IC should you ride out of radio range. Try the
"can you hear me now?" approach frequently to avoid/minimize this.

TRAIN! TRAIN! TRAIN!...for the search conditions you would expect at night,
then you'll better understand limitations and precautions for your area.

This should give you some starting material and areas for our knowledgeable
members of this list to add their inputs.

Good luck. If I can help further, please contact me. One of my
organizations, US Search Affiliates is gearing up to help teams like yours
with these types of needs. We've developed some SOPs and forms to document
the search that also allows you to incorporate off the street volunteers and
make them a valuable search resource.

Jeff Ezell
US Regional Search Dogs
US Search Affiliates
Texas EquuSearch
jeff@usrsd.org




-----Original Message-----
From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org]On Behalf Of Vince
Hernandez
Sent: Friday, July 11, 2003 11:10 AM
To: msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [MSAR] Searching at Night?


Our sheriff recently asked our team to begin brainstorming ideas to
address a reoccurring SAR issue that his department continues to
encounter.  Many searches in our jurisdiction begin right before
dark.  The scenario is - Person goes hiking shortly after noon, does
not return for dinner, family begins looking around campsite for an
hour or two, and as darkness falls begins to panic.  They contact
authorities who arrive just in time to watch the sun go down.  So my
question is . . . How, or Can you search in the dark?  Please feel
free to include as much info as possible as we are going to compile
ideas and map out an SOP for our unit.

Vince Hernandez
Randall County Sheriff's Posse
Amarillo, Texas

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