Mounted search and rescue

["Jorene Downs" <Jorene@CEOates.com>]

I really like training with skill stations. And I really like focusing on ground SAR training since MSAR tends to neglect that training / refresher. 

 

I'm assuming you do a lot of urban / building SAR since you're navigating through a fire station. Are you providing the team with an objective to locate X within that structure so it is actually a search? (Hide a large doll or something, representing a missing toddler.)  

 

Perhaps a skill station where a clue is planted to see how they handle it. Will they set up a perimeter / flag it / what? Will they trample the surrounding area or protect it and only send in 1 person? Something there for them to bag and tag as possible evidence?

 

Shoe prints are always a challenge in the field, and can make a great skill station. Teams should protect it, photo and drawing of the print(s), measure stride length, determine DOT (Direction of Travel), etc. Then try mock radio communication with the team reporting location of the print and other info, including verbally describing that shoe print to the "dispatcher" who draws according to what is described.

 

I'd also suggest some basic orienteering outside. Give people some coordinates, hand them a map that has coordinate ticks visible, tell them to go there on foot, and make note of how long it takes to reach that location. Not a race, but it could be significant if it takes a team an hour to get there and others arrive in 15 minutes. One simple method is to plant something at location X with a message written there. Team makes note of the time and message. The message might be instructions to go somewhere else.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jorene Downs
Tulare Co, CA
SAR, MSAR, Swiftwater Rescue, US&R,
Technical Rescue, Cave Rescue,
Hasty Team, ICP
www.CEOates.com/sar
Tulare-Kings CERT Program Coordinator
www.tk-cert.org

----- Original Message -----

From: Bdurham05201@aol.com

I wanted to share a training idea one of our members came up with.  Of course if it is a flop I won't be so happy, but maybe someone else can improve on it.

 

It is always most fun to train on horseback, however some of our best learning happens when we are on our own two feet and thus concentrating more on the task at hand.  So this training will be without horses and regardless of the weather.

 

We are setting up "skills stations"; [...]