Mounted search and rescue

[<Jorene@CEOates.com>]

Una, I have to publicly say THANKS! for your sharing the 1921 photo from National Geographic. It was a serious jaw dropper when I gave my 90 minute class at the SAR conference last weekend. As anticipated, that photo definitely set the mood for "What ELSE can an MSAR team do?" !!!

 

(I don't recall where Una has it stored online, but I put a copy up on

http://www.ceoates.com/sar/images/misc/NatlGeographic1921-horse-rope-river.jpg )

 

And since several of you contributed some good ideas that added to my rather large collection of options and opportunities for MSAR, I thought I'd share how that class went.

 

I had a very rewarding reception to my class on Effective Use of Mounted in SAR and Disasters at the SAR City annual conference in Barstow, CA. To my knowledge, the first of its kind in the country. About 40 people attended - about half MSAR and half SAR Managers - and I have already been asked to return and present the class next year. I already have some changes and additions in mind that would extend the 90 minute class to 2 hours.

 

My class is a wake-up call that the incident requiring a traditional / basic MSAR response is already starting to decrease due to technology redefining SAR more as a Rescue/"Go fetch" instead of a "get all the resources out for a Search" status. (Traditional MSAR tends to focus on the Search and neglects the Rescue part of training.) Everyone seemed very enthusiastic about the long list of potentials - far beyond the traditional - for Mounted response I identified at the various training levels. It was neat to watch facial expressions as light bulbs came on and people started getting into the "think outside the box" mode. ;)

 

Several SAR Managers and MSAR Team Commanders who attended are already asking if I'm available to provide the class in their county. Apparently they think they have finally found a way to motivate MSAR teams to increase their training and capabilities, and at the same time create better understanding regarding MSAR potential at the SAR Manager level, including for disaster response. With more time available, I'd add a workshop / tabletop exercise so attendees would go hands-on with thinking outside the box for what kinds of assignments MSAR could perform in SAR or disasters. (For clarification, "SAR" includes potential for MSAR to be directly involved in Technical Rescue, Cave/Mine Rescue, Swiftwater Rescue, etc. ... even as a basic-trained MSAR team.)

 

I hope I just launched a quiet, very positive revolution in the world of MSAR where even the "We've always done it this way" teams will see the advantages in making some changes ... or they'll end up being not much more than the local mounted unit in parades while others get the call-outs.  After meeting with so much enthusiasm this weekend, I'm even considering ways to inexpensively package the course to make it available for others as a "Do your own seminar and workshop" since I don't have time to travel all over the country. MSAR has a LOT of untapped potential ... if the MSAR teams and SAR Managers are willing to think outside the box.

 

I also finally had the opportunity to meet Chris Pennington (regular contributor here) from the Big Bear Sheriff's Posse! Nice lady, very sharp about realistic potentials for MSAR teams. ;)

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jorene Downs
Tulare Co, CA
SAR, MSAR, Swiftwater Rescue, US&R,
Technical Rescue, Cave Rescue,
Hasty Team, ICP
www.CEOates.com/sar
Tulare-Kings CERT Program Coordinator
www.tk-cert.org