Mounted search and rescue

["Thomas and Christy Matthews" <tcmatthews0113@msn.com>]

I've been reading the lists comments about NASAR and NASAR standards. The 
identical
arguments and concerns were discussed by the search dog lists when NASAR was 
developing
search dog certification standards. The search dog standards that were 
developed. in my opinion, are what I consider to be base line standards that 
most search dog groups had already been testing to.

I agree that it is difficult to find testers and to be tested under their 
standards, I
would have to travel a 7 hour drive to be able to test my dog and have to be 
a SAR tech II
level ground searcher before I can even test my dog under their standards.

Regardless, I think the main issue here you need to be concerned with is a 
legal issue.
If your county was sued either civilly or legally for not providing a "stand 
of care"
in a search that ended badly, I believe that most prosecuting attorneys 
would use
NASAR standards as the "standard of care", unless your state has established 
standards-which most states don't, to hold your county to. The reason I feel 
this way is because I know when the space shuttle went down last spring the 
government agencies in charge of the
search contacted NASAR and asked them for a list of SAR Tech certified 
ground searchers
to be called in to search. That, like it or not, the NASAR standards are 
becoming the
"standard of care" for SAR. So whether your group decides to adopt NASAR 
standards or
not, your group standard should be equivelent or better than the NASAR 
standards to hold
up to any legal challenges. I would also recommend that MSAR personnel keep 
a log book
of their training for each horse used, just like the SAR dog handlers do, 
this will
also help to protect you if a suit does occur.

Just my 2 cents on the issue

Christy in Montana
Stillwater Co. SAR
Central Montana Search Dogs