Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <una@lanl.gov>]

Jorene wrote:
>Hmmm. Now I see where there is a big difference between our
>approaches. You're focused on better use of MSAR in SAR.
>I'm pushing to expand the horizons of MSAR because the
>"traditional" MSAR team typically focuses more on the Search
>aspect in their training and response, and the impact of
>technology is already focusing SAR call-outs more on the
>Rescue / Go fetch.

Sorta.  I I am also expanding the horizons of MSAR, but our
horizons are not identical.  I suspect I have spent more
days in California than Jorene has spent in New Mexico.  
Both states are very large, but their population densities
are very different:  California's is high, New Mexico's is
low.  Both Jorene and I are responding to identical long-
term trends in SAR, but our regional MSAR communities face
different challenges and come from different traditions.

Rick Goodman, retired New Mexico SAR Resource Officer, has
for years been talking about changes in demographics of SAR
subjects and hence changes in our typical missions.  Basic
"search" missions are now much shorter than in past years.
It is not unusual for us to be called out, then get a call
en route telling us the subject has been found.  The result
is fewer mission man hours (not necessarily fewer missions),
hence less on-the-job training, but the remaining missions
are the hard ones where someone is lost and in real trouble.  
Given these circumstances, MSAR units in New Mexico cannot
afford to be perceived as (or to be) yahoos.  And by far
our most urgent training need is more wilderness first aid.

Basic search missions are shorter now largely because the
subject often has a cell phone and a vague idea where they
are.  If not, a skilled 911 dispatcher can extract enough
clues from the subject to give SAR managers a fairly exact
idea where the person is.  And then there are helicopters,
which are very effective at spotting subjects.  Remember,
New Mexico is a very empty state, so anyone spotted out in 
the middle of this emptyness probably is the lost subject.

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