Mounted search and rescue

[<Jorene@CEOates.com>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Una Smith" <una@lanl.gov>
> Jorene wrote:
> >Short of forming some kind of MSAR association that would be
> >fledgling and have no nationwide recognition for many years,
> >I saw NASAR as the best / fastest vehicle to establish a
> >national standard.
> >In order to work with NASAR the MSAR committee is required to use
> >NASAR's ground SAR standards.

>  I
> can support a standard that requires "training to an approved
> prerequisite standard (such as NASAR X)";  I cannot support a
> standard that requires "training to the NASAR X standard".

I'm sure NASAR will insist on NASAR ground searcher standards, not "similar
to", because they have no control over what is considered similar. (I refer
to NASAR as "they" because all on the MSAR committee are volunteers, some
not even NASAR members. But some are also SARTECH II.)

> There is a real potential that emerging SAR standards will be
> written into state laws.  In that event, any restriction that
> creates an exclusive role for NASAR would be very hard to fix.

It will be simple enough to just use the MSAR standards and attach an
amendment to the document to refer to local/regional/state/whatever written
source for ground SAR standards. Those who don't choose to include all the
references to NASAR requirements won't be eligible for NASAR certification,
but some people / regions / states wouldn't care. In your case, the state
could refer to the NM ground SAR standards then add the NASAR MSAR standards
for mounted. While I think you support the idea of national standards for
MSAR, I doubt you'd personally care whether you actually have NASAR MSAR
certification. ;)

Do you have another vehicle for launching nationwide MSAR standards that
you'd suggest? Is there some other existing national standard for ground
searchers that you'd prefer over NASAR ground standards?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jorene Downs, Committee Chair
NASAR MSAR Standards Committee
visit NASAR on www.nasar.org