Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <una@lanl.gov>]

TJ Rogers wrote:
>Our question is this - can anyone in the central Texas area (and I use that 
>term loosely, we're willing to travel if we need to) provide even a half 
>day, if not a full day of overview training for our group? We'd like to get 
>some training scheduled for 6-12 months out. We will be including CPR, 
>orienteering etc along with the traditional SAR and evidence collection 
>training.

TJ,

Okay, I looked it up.  Williamson County includes Austin, which
I would call south central Texas.  Have you gotten in touch with
other MSAR units in Texas?  There are loads of them, including
a bunch that have websites:  http://www.ibiblio.org/msar/units/.
And in particular, TUMPOT.

For high-caliber riders, top-notch training would consist of SAR
training, packing and/or overnight mock searches, and a minimum
of Wilderness First Responder training.  You mention CPR;  plan
to go *far* beyond that.  Start with Wilderness First Aid (below
Wilderness First Responder but well beyond Basic First Aid/CPR).

If you have no state SAR conference, plan on attending one out
of state.  New Mexico and Colorado both have good ones, both in
May.  The national NASAR conference will be on the east coast
in Virginia this year, and in California in 2005, but in 2006
it *might* be right in your area:  Austin, Texas.  New Mexico's
SAR conference is expected to include a 3-hour course on MSAR
(classroom) and there is a MSAR Riding Boot Camp (4-day field
riding clinic) scheduled in conjunction with the conference.

As a brand new unit, probably you are having a hard time trying
to identify what training you should get.  So a good first step
would be to identify what training you *could* get.  Toward that
end, you might take a look at some other MSAR units' websites
for their training schedules.  Eg, ours:  

        http://www.ibiblio.org/msar/units/santafe/

Hope this helps,

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