Mounted search and rescue

["Vince Hernandez" <vinceh1@amaonline.com>]

Our sheriff has specifically requested that we prepare for night
searching. The majority of the searches in our area begin at night
when someone realizes that our lost person has failed to return to a
campsite, home, etc . . by evening.  By the time family members
search themselves, contact law enforcement, who searches a while
then, contacts SAR personnel - it's dark.  We have identified our
most experienced riders (who, not by coincidence have the most
experienced horses - these folks are horseback most of the day) and
have assembled a "Rapid Response Team".  This team is accompanied by
canines and handlers as evening and night conditions can be very
favorable for canine scent work.  We have convinced our local
Emergency Service people that and immediate canine response followed
by a highly skilled mounted group is the best way to go at night. 
Even still, there are areas in Randall County with 1000 ft cliffs
that no one should be around at night, no matter how experienced you
are.  I would be interested to know how other handle night missions
-or additional advice for us.

Vince Hernandez
Randall County Sheriff's Posse
Amarillo, Texas     

---- Original Message ----
From: lmabry@zianet.com
To: msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: RE: [MSAR] Night MSAR
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2004 09:20:46 -0700

>I agree with this - we have some members who do not want to respond
>as 
>ground searchers - we have others, including me, that will and have 
>responded as mounted, ground searchers, base camp operations, or
>whatever 
>is needed - regardless of time of day. We are also training two
>bloodhounds 
>for tracking. So I think it is up to the team to make sure that the
>FC's 
>know who you are and what you are capable and willing to do. No one
>should 
>be expected to be able to do everything - it's ok to have a niche and
>be 
>good at one thing - we need to make sure that the FC's know what that
>
>expertise is so it can be used when and where it is needed.
>
>btw - we have two bloodhounds that we are fostering for the local
>animal 
>shelter that desparately need homes - it would be great if someone
>would 
>take one or both of them and train them for SAR. email me
>lmabry@zianet.com 
>if you are interested.
>
>Lydia Mabry
>DACSMP
>Las Cruces
>
>On Thursday, February 19, 2004 8:30 AM, Una Smith [SMTP:una@lanl.gov]
>wr  
>ote:
>> Lauri S. wrote:
>> >It is sad that there are teams that take the attitude that
>> >they are MOUNTED searchers....
>>
>> That is an important point to bring out.  IME, often it is an
>> attitude that is just assumed, never considered with any care.
>> In my book it is acceptable for a unit to decide it will only
>> respond on horseback, but the unit's entire membership needs
>> to be aware that this is a conscious decision and understand
>> the pros and cons both for themselves and for their local SAR
>> community.
>>
>>      Una Smith
>>      Santa Fe County Sheriff's Posse, in New Mexico
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>
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