Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <una@lanl.gov>]

For me, one thing that really stands out in Ter's search report
is the delicacy of interagency operations in a state that does
not have state-wide SAR management.  Ter, do your SAR teams all
use Incident Command System (ICS), or do much joint training
such as large mock searches or training missions (in New Mexico
these usually are evidence searches on "cold cases")?

Recently, my SAR unit met with our local county sheriff.  One
of his important questions for us was would we respond if called
by his office for non-wilderness searches.  We were surprised by
the question!  Further discussion revealed a perception in the
county sheriff's office that state-recognized SAR resources are
for use only in wilderness areas, so the sheriff's office tries
to conduct urban, suburban, and rural searches without requesting
state SAR resources.  That perception is not accurate;  now that
this has been recognized, perhaps our local county will call on
us (that is, on state SAR) more often and sooner in the search.

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