Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <una@lanl.gov>]

A month ago, Sarah wrote:
>I'm with the MSAR unit of Greater Philadelphia Search and Rescue based right 
>outside of, you guessed it, Philly. The mounted unit has been in existance 
>for a few years, but has recently been undergoing some growing pains. Most 
>of you seem to be members of more established MSAR teams and I was wondering 
>if any of you could pass on some advice to me about how to recruit new 
>members.

Even established MSAR units have to deal with recruiting, because
memberships wax and wane.  My unit is currently recruiting, and
we do many things that bring us to the attention of possible new
members.  There are basically two pools of candidates:  current
SAR volunteers who don't now do SAR on horseback, and riders who
don't now do SAR.  So your recruiting needs to take a long-term
view of community networking and development.  For example, SAR
groundpounders often tell me they wish they could ride.  I reply
that I learned to ride as an adult, so it is never too late.

More immediately useful are these:

Set up a website that says who you are, what you do, and most of
all *where* you are and *how to reach you* for more information.  
Show photos of you on horseback.

Monitor your local/state/regional SAR e-mail lists and websites.

Contribute news items/safety tips/whatever to local/state/regional
SAR newsletters, with photos or at least mention of your horses.

Contribute news items/safety tips/whatever to local/state/regional
*horse* newsletters, with photos or at least mention of your SAR
work.

Go to local/state/regional SAR conferences and tell everyone you
talk to there that you are a *mounted* SAR unit.

Offer to give some kind of MSAR training at these SAR conferences.
Or any other SAR training, where you can use MSAR as a teaching
tool.

Host a SAR training event (First Aid course, state certification
exam, whatever) at a location where you can bring your horses (even
if they just stand tied at the trailer).

Host a horse despooking clinic, and invite local horse clubs to
attend, advertize on local tack shop/feed store notice boards and
in newsletters.

Volunteer to help guide local benefit trail rides.  Use these as
training events for yourselves (bring your radios and SAR packs,
and expect that you may need to use your first aid kits), and to
recruit riders.

Participate on horseback in local parades and rodeos, fairs, pony
club events, community safety expos, etc., and tell everyone who
seems interested that you are SAR volunteers...and explain what
SAR is.  

Do traffic and/or parking detail for large public events (horse
shows, fairs, rodeos, even museum openings and highschool sports
events) on horseback.  This is both a training opportunity for
you, and an opportunity to recruit.

Have a recruiting information sheet ready to hand out to anyone
who seems interested in what you do.

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