Mounted search and rescue

["irvin lichtenstein" <ilichten1@verizon.net>]

Assuming the standard is adopted by an authority having jurisdiction the AHJ
establishes as part of the adoption process the enforcement process.  If an
individual using organization adopts the standard it have to formulate a
training program adequate to convey the required knowledge and skills, and
to evaluate the training.

I would expect both approaches to be followed. In CA and VA where there is a
strong pattern of government agency issued training guidelines the state (or
its surrogate) will create a training program and certify instructors. In
states with little or no involvement the users will embrace the standard,
add local needs to it and establish a training program. User organizations
with strong management and traditions of training will then offer these
programs to others. I would expect TROT SAR to become a training focus, and
hopefully SE PA SAR.

A standard published for national or international use is a lowest common
denominator (LCD) of acceptable skills in the community. MSAR 1, by
including the ground pounder 2209 skills and going beyond them is actually
several steps above LCD.  Many SAR organizations are spontaneous and
disappear after a massive search for a missing child or similar high
visibility case. We are trying to move towards long term viability
everywhere and written performance standards are a first step.

The National Response Plan, established by FEMA under the guidelines of its
enabling legislation and in consultation with other federal level agencies
is becoming obsolete due to localities going around it through EMAC or
specific MOU's and mutual aid pacts. Under the current federal legislation
local resources including mutual aid, must be exhausted before the next
level of resources can be called. In my county that would mean over 60
township police departments, 93 fire companies and or departments, and
around 50 emergency EMS providers, plus non-emergency providers, school
districts, and bus contractors. And since many agencies along the county
border routinely cross the border a multi-county response is also automatic.
The NRP is a management plan where FEMA was supposed to throw money at the
problem as Defense fixed it. Today FEMA has some resources under its control
because it paid for them-- USAR, DMAT, counter terror outfits, etc. This is
similar to the CA wildfire response-- the state paid for a significant
portion of your fire truck on condition that they could tell you where to
drive it. In many cases CDF is the fire department or OES paid for the
equipment.

Wilderness search has never been an NRP function. Building collapse has only
been a federal funded operation since the 1990's when the first 26 or so
state USAR TF's were partially funded. USAR is the first nationally
established rescue program with mobilization deadlines.  It also provides
military transportation for called up units.  And there are multiple units
in most states with an emphasis today on county or regional responses.
Pennsylvania has two statewide task forces and over a dozen regional units.
If the federal government wants to make wilderness search a national
response the current availability of NPS and NFS managers, firefighters, and
the fire cache could cover the requirements without local organizations at
all. But the response time will be long.

If search is an emergency and most assignments last less than 24 hours, how
far can mutual aid travel and be there in time to make a difference? How
long does it take to mobilize your organization? Load the horses and get on
the road, rendezvous or respond individually, drive there (getting lost
along the way perhaps), unload and set up base, get briefed, scout the
terrain or secure locals to ride with the tasks, and do something-- how many
hours?   Even with good communications for alerting and most responders
available you have to allow hours just to get to a significant checkpoint
along the route. During a workday members must get to their horse, and
trailer, maybe change vehicles from the fuel efficient work car to the fuel
hungry tow vehicle, change clothes perhaps from office to field, get a
route, and go. Have you ever figured out what it costs to mobilize? A
commercial hauler can get $2000 a day for his rig.  Add up the man-hours,
vehicle miles, just the cost of horse keeping. It costs a significant amount
to go out the door.

Adopting a training standard that others have adopted is efficient and
reduces training costs. It does not guarantee uniformity in training.

Irv Lichtenstein