Mounted search and rescue

["Jeff Ezell" <eztech@pdq.net>]

Mike, Suzanne, Una. Jorene & others,

Thanks for your efforts and educational comments. The good news is these
Nat'l Standards are not being implemented "upon" the MSAR community, but
rather "with" the invited input of what they should be, "from" the MSAR
community. MSAR teams should know best what are appropriate expectations of
searchers in different regions and under what search circumstances. The bad
news to some are that there will even be national standards and to others
that they won't exactly fit a regional need. But that can also be good news
because agencies should more readily accept a volunteer MSAR team who meets
at least some national minimums. NASAR seems a likely tag team partner for
MSAR since they already have the "national acceptance" of many agencies.
That's a plus. Are they perfect? NO, but here is a chance to help them
become better and get what is needed into the standards. Also it appears
they are moving towards more accessible training and testing of their
current programs. The cost issue is undesirable, but we all know it takes
money to do anything, SAR isn't immune. With adherence to national standards
it should be easier for your team to get grants to cover training and
certification costs. Encourage people you know to become instructors and
testers. That will speed it up.

I salute all of you contributing to this effort. I've talked with some of
the people who worked on the initial NASAR K9 standards. Not a trivial task.
It was a monumental effort getting agreement from the K9 folks on what
should be included and excluded. I wouldn't expect nearly the hassle from
MSAR folks. (You know how picky we dog folks can be!)

Overall, the national standards requirements seem like they are coming
anyway. So I hope all you knowledgeable MSAR folks will jump in and make
them the best they can be. Now is the time.

Jeff Ezell
US Regional Search Dogs
US Search Affiliates
...to Search...to Save...
jeff@usrsd.org <mailto:usrsdjeff@usrsd.org>


-----Original Message-----
From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org]On Behalf Of
Jorene@CEOates.com
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 3:10 PM
To: Mounted search and rescue
Subject: Re: [MSAR] NASAR standards



----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Dillard" <DILLARDM@mustang.k12.ok.us>
>[...] our Nations' States' Emergency Management Officials have
> recognized NASAR as that standard. [...]
> Think on the magnitude of this project.  Every SAR personnel in the
> country,  "standardized." No matter who, what, when, where, how... the
> appropriate agencies personnel will be melded into an efficient,
> functioning coordinated component to get the job done, reducing loss of
> life and property damage in a disaster. [...]

I like the way your mind works, Mike. <g> This effort to provide national
standards for SAR fits right under the efforts of Homeland Security. Law
Enforcement has national standards. Fire has national standards. Volunteers
like CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) are trained based on national
standards. They're even rolling out a new national standard as an overhead
for ICS that covers the multiple agency coordination. It is a HUGE advantage
in any kind of emergency/disaster response to have everyone on the same page
... and that requires national standards.

National standards are being taken very seriously. Since so many agencies
and organizations nationwide have already identified NASAR as the source for
SAR-related national standards, I doubt much consideration would be given to
a non-NASAR MSAR standard. National standards are important enough that many
of the government programs are coming out with a mandate to comply with
certain changes and standards ... or not be eligible to receive grant money.
Money talks. ;)

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

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