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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] Mounted orienteering (Black Canyon ride)

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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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  • From: "irvin lichtenstein" <ilichten1@verizon.net>
  • To: "Mounted search and rescue" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] Mounted orienteering (Black Canyon ride)
  • Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2005 13:00:47 -0400


Besides the value of orienteering as a training event there is the
possibility of being asked to support rides and other competitive events as
a training and or public relations assignment.

In the past I have designed the safety plans for 50 mile rides, MO, paper
chases, bicycle runs and even a half marathon on city streets. The major
elements involve keeping track of the competitors and having a response
planned if things go wrong. In most events there are easily accessible
points along the course (road crossings, pipeline or power line routes)
where an observer can note the entry numbers of competitors as they cross.
This allows you to determine if a competitor is so far off course as to be
disqualified or missing. It also limits the search area to some extent as
you have a reliable point last seen. We give the checkpoint person a
preprinted form with lists of numbers on it and they merely cross off the
ones that come through. Radio coverage allows us to poll the checkpoints to
determine who passed by and how many are left on the course. This seems to
work well and we have not lost anybody yet. We can also determine if a
checkpoint missed somebody by comparing lists and scratches. For the 50
milers we had radio coverage of the course, the checkpoints, the ride vets,
a pick up trailer, and drag riders.

For the marathon we worked backwards-- the course was well marked so we
recorded only the numbers of runners picked up for medical treatment and
forwarded the sheets to the scorers for DNF

These events required mixed skills-- management, communications, medical,
logistics and proved to be excellent training for search managers and IC
staff. The novices had a plan to work to, emergencies to respond to, and the
fog of war to worry about. The best part was they were unobtrusively backed
up by more experienced personnel and the risks were very low. Fortunately,
Pennsylvania requires a safety plan for any public event, the complexity
level is determined by attendance. I did write an article about the Rolling
Stones last concerts at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, one of the first events
covered by the plan rule (102,000 + fans in the August sun).

Irv Lichtenstein



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