Mounted search and rescue

["philip easley" <easleyranch@foothill.net>]

Here in Nevada County, we had a big disaster during the 49er fire that
burned over 15,000 acres including 500 homes.  We mobilized our Sheriff's
Mounted Posse to evacuate the large animals in its path.  They came back
with scorched paint jobs, burnt uniforms, and lots of livestock.  We heavily
utilized the County Fairgrounds and several of the large horse ranches with
irrigated pasture.  The only things that would not burn.  There were
numerous horror stories from posse members and deputy sheriffs of horses and
mules turning past them and plunging into the flames.  I am glad you brought
this up, because after that fire in 1989, we made a plan.  I believe it is
well outdated and needs to be overhauled with the posse no longer in
existence along with some of the outfits that were willing to donate
supplies and pasture to keep the animals.  I will bring it up at the next
board meeting.
Philip Easley
Nevada County Sheriff's Search & Rescue Inc.....
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Una Smith" <una.smith@att.net>
To: <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Sunday, September 05, 2004 7:08 AM
Subject: [MSAR] Equine evacuation preparedness


> Horse owners in Florida with any sense will be prepared to shelter
> in place;  the state is essentially impossible to evacuate.  Too
> many people and too few routes off the peninsula.  For wildfires
> here in New Mexico I also encourage horse owning friends to prepare
> to shelter in place, but many horse owners expect also to evacuate.
> So my MSAR team will be giving a series of clinics for a community
> at particularly high risk.
>
> Does anyone here have relevant evaluation forms already prepared?
> We could use forms for trailer rig safety checks, trailer driving
> skills, horse handler's trailer loading and unloading skills, and
> (last but not least) horses' ground manners and trailering skills.
>
> We could also use some forms for developing individual evacuation
> plans.  Eg., a form where the horse owner writes down where they
> will take their horse, contact names and numbers, how they will
> mark their horse in case someone else takes it, relevant issues
> to keep in mind (horse freaks about X, horse needs medications or
> a special diet), etc.
>
> Una Smith
> Santa Fe County Sheriff's Posse
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