Mounted search and rescue

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

This sounds a little like the VFC-- for 90 years we recruited firefighters
and then found out we needed administrators as well. But we don't need no
stinking administrative members. Depending on the size of the organization
you will need some people to do the paperwork. This means getting things
like tax returns, newsletters, application forms, mission reports, incident
reports, training reports done, filed, and on time. This may seem like
nothing but file an IRS 990 late and see who pays the $750 penalty.  The VFC
is 300 fire reports behind on the FIRS computer because entering reports is
an operational responsibility and one of the chiefs doesn't want to do it.
Besides doing administrative things, some planning also has to be done--
recruiting, budgets, prevention education, none of which require field
skills. Same for maintenance of equipment.

In the field you should try to recruit any resources not currently available
on an organized basis.  Trackers, technical rescue, Large Animal Rescue,
disaster relocation, shelter/base management, and ICS personnel are always
useful. Personal experience has shown dog people to be difficult to manage
and tend to stay in groups of 10 handlers or less. This often means dogs
lack the critical mass to organize on their own. And realize that you will
have riders with no horses. People who are between mounts, mounts get lame
or pregnant, trucks break, etc.

Concepts change over time. When SE PA SAR was conceptualized the idea was a
very lean mounted only unit to supplement other resources and using
available resources such as field com vans, foot searchers, county IST, and
so forth. However, the last two volunteers include a non-rider for command
post skills, and a rider who doesn't have a horse at the moment. Be
flexible.

Irv Lichtenstein