Mounted search and rescue

["Tm' Fi" <TFinkle@erols.com>]

David C. Kovar wrote:

>Greetings,
>
>1) I'd be wary of calling SAR an "industry". "industry" implies
>commercialism and many people, self included, will strongly object to that.
>Our foundation is built firmly on volunteerism and hopefully it will remain
>there.
>
>I usually use the phrase "SAR community". It isn't perfect, but it is
>closer.
>  
>
I agree with you and also use the term community.  However, on a 
national standard, we are considered a search and rescue resource, along 
with the other within the SAR Community, which are all tossed into the 
FEMA ESF #9 pool.   

>2) I suspect that the SAR community is more aware of ICS than the volunteer
>disaster resources. They might be falling in line with us on that point.
>  
>
Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 (HSPD-5) has mandated that 
"all"   first responder resource receive training in ICS, so there is no 
might about it, they will fall in line.   ICS has been around and 
utilized for over 20 years.  The National Mutual Aid and Resource 
Management System is an initiative undertaken by the Department of 
Homeland Security through the National Incident Management Systems 
(NIMS) Integrations Center (NIC) <http://www.fema.gov/nims/nims.shtm> 
and the Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) <http://fema.gov/>, in 
cooperation with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) 
<http://www.fema.gov/cgi-shl/goodbye.pl?url=http://www.nemaweb.org>. 
This system will enhance emergency readiness and response at all levels 
of government through a comprehensive and integrated system that will 
allow a jurisdiction to augment response resources if needed. The system 
will allow emergency management personnel to identify, locate, request, 
order and track outside resources quickly and effectively. It will allow 
them to obtain information on specific resource capabilities, location, 
cost and support requirements.

>3) I don't think canine SAR is moving quickly towards any sort of national
>standard or consistency. Have you looked at how different the canine
>standards are for different teams across the country?
>
>I don't see a lot of hope for ground SAR in this regard, either. This is
>mostly due to dramatic differences in geography - what is appropriate in the
>swamps of Florida might get you killed in the mountains of Colorado and vice
>versa. If you reduce the standards to meet the lowest common denominators
>for both environments you get something that is very weak. 
>  
>
The canine folks from across the country are already in the playing 
field.  Current Typing standards have already been established into a 
list four levels, with level IV being the lowest.  A good example of how 
canine teams have in fact come together, is by looking at the Typing 
Standards.  Almost a third a of the National Typing Search and Rescue 
Resources define canine standards and do include different terrain types.

    * Canine Search and Rescue Team - Avalanche Snow Air Scent
      
<http://www.fema.gov/preparedness/resources/search_and_rescue/canine_avalanche.htm>
    * Canine Search and Rescue Team - Disaster Response
      
<http://www.fema.gov/preparedness/resources/search_and_rescue/canine_disaster.htm>
    * Canine Search and Rescue Team - Land Cadaver Air Scent
      
<http://www.fema.gov/preparedness/resources/search_and_rescue/canine_land_cad.htm>
    * Canine Search and Rescue Team - Water Air Scent
      
<http://www.fema.gov/preparedness/resources/search_and_rescue/canine_water_scent.htm>
    * Canine Search and Rescue Team - Wilderness Air Scent
      
<http://www.fema.gov/preparedness/resources/search_and_rescue/canine_wilderness.htm>
    * Canine Search and Rescue Team - Wilderness Tracking/Trailing
      
<http://www.fema.gov/preparedness/resources/search_and_rescue/canine_wilderness_track.htm>


>4) If we don't organize ourselves, someone will eventually do it for us.
>Better to approach the people who are likely to call us out with something
>that we can deliver on and meets their needs than have them decide what's
>required.
>  
>

I totally agree that we need to define ourselves.  Sadly, if we a a 
group can't decide (soon) what minimum typing should be, then MSAR will 
never become defined on a national level.

Tomi` Finkle
TROTSAR
State of Maryland