Mounted search and rescue

[<Jorene@CEOates.com>]

From: "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.

> [...]  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.

I had to grin at this misconception, because it is so common. Yes, there are
regions in CA where there is very dense population ... and there are many
visitors - even lifetime residents! -  who are completely unaware that we
also have massive agricultural areas with sparse population. We also have
vast amounts of wilderness, from desert to mountains, with very limited
vehicle access. I happen to live in the largest Ag production region in the
USA. I live in a small semi-rural foothills valley at the base of the Sierra
Nevada mountains, surrounded by a huge cattle ranch. 2 miles away are orange
groves that go on for miles. Not what most people picture when thinking of
CA. ;)

There is an entrance gate to Sequoia National Park just 45 minutes up the
road from where I live. There is a very small population base in the Sierra
Nevada mountains, and much of that is in federal lands (Parks, Forests, BLM,
etc.) where the public often heads for hiking, camping, hunting, etc. You
could take the state of NM and stretch it over our Sierra Nevadas and in the
majority of that overlay there would only be a handful of residents. And
that example doesn't even mention the desert and other more remote areas of
CA. So perception of needs for MSAR response in less populated regions isn't
near as different as you apparently think. We do have sometimes very
different terrain from one response region to another, but the fundamentals
for SAR response remain the same heading into any more remote area. ;)

I actually have more experience in Wilderness SAR than I do in
urban/suburban/rural because the majority of our call-outs are in our
mountains. (Our local mountains climb to over 14,000 feet to Mt. Whitney.) I
roll with the Hasty Team as half of a 2-person SAR Management team that
expands as needed. It isn't unusual for actual driving time - at speed - to
take 2-3 hours just to arrive on scene. And then we use the satellite phone
because there isn't any cell phone coverage or reliable radio to communicate
with Dispatch back in the main valley. If we're real lucky, there will be a
conveniently located Ranger Station where we can set up the Hasty ICP
instead of working out of the back of my truck. ;)

> [...] 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),

It sounds like you're part of the second wave (after Hasty Team rsponse) if
you're getting called off fairly regularly, and this is a pattern I suspect
will continue for MSAR. Add to that increasingly more people using GPS, and
over time the number of "lost/overdue" calls will reduce. In more populated
areas the tracking devices for seniors/Alzheimer's will again reduce the
need for a full blown SAR. If the more remote call is rescue-specific, odds
are MSAR won't be called ... unless that MSAR team has a higher level of
medical training and is trained and equipped for various kinds of rescue.

This is why I see the need to expand the capabilities of MSAR. If the team
is more versatile, they can be very useful in far more than traditional MSAR
response. I mentioned on another thread that collaborating with other teams
can also increase MSAR capabilities just in SAR (not including the potential
for disaster response) ... and sometimes not even require more training.

For example, if a couple of riders with pack animals travel with a ground
team for a litter carry (a suspected injury not recommended for saddle
transport) MSAR can pack the gear in and out. Litter bearers can go longer
and faster if they don't also have heavy packs on their backs ... and
Mounted are considered heroes for being along to pack all that gear. ;)

Take that same "we're the gear bearers" capability and apply it to Technical
Rescue, Swiftwater Rescue, CSI response to a remote crime scene, etc. In
some situations even MSAR with gear piled behind the saddle would get the
job done, if there are enough riders. You can even adapt to terrain and haul
gear part way Mounted, then assist with carrying gear on the ground.

But that kind of call-out won't happen if the MSAR team isn't prepared for
that kind of response ... including being prepared for Hasty Team prompt
response capability ... and it is also necessary to SAR Management that the
potential exists.

> [...] And by far
> our most urgent training need is more wilderness first aid.

Agreed! Most teams have a minimum requirement of First Aid (and CPR) but
unless medical back-up is expected to be minutes away, it sure makes sense
to train in higher levels of medical aid. And if you have potential to be
out overnight with someone injured, or transport any distance, Wilderness
First Aid training can make the difference in saving that person's life.

Our local volunteer Technical Rescue team requires all their personnel to be
EMTs because we have so much backcountry response. And yes, they regularly
get called with the Hasty Team - even if we have no indication that rope
rescue will be likely - because they have more versatility and a higher
level of skill sets.  Imagine how useful a Mounted Technical Rescue Team
with EMT training would be ... particularly if they're willing to hike and
climb when the terrain is no longer suitable for the livestock! Regardless,
MSAR can be a useful addition to any Technical Rescue call-out because there
is a lot of gear to haul along .. much less needing top side personnel
rigging rope systems, or just lending a hand pulling.

> Basic search missions are shorter now largely because the
> subject often has a cell phone and a vague idea where they
> are.  [...]

Use of the cell phone in our backcountry is extremely limited due to terrain
and coverage, and more typically non-existent. But you just gave one example
of the Rescue / Go fetch trend I mentioned that is reducing the active
participation in SAR for Mounted units, unless they're part of the Hasty
Team response. Most MSAR teams aren't prepared for Hasty Team response or
trained and equipped for much beyond the traditional MSAR response, and this
trend will have increasing impact on those 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