Mounted search and rescue

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

Whenever you think an emergency response organization is needed or a
capability needed you conduct a risk assessment. This means you find out how
many times the capability was needed but not available in the past. If
possible plot the growth rate over time. For a SAR group the usual rule is
12 or more real missions a year in its primary service area. Any less and
the skills deteriorate, more than about 24 you need a huge organization
since searches often run for 24-36 hours. It also depends on how large the
area is. Generally more than 90 minutes travel time added to an hour or more
to get on the road with horses makes for too long a response for many local
agencies.  If there is a need document it, gather resources to solve the
problem and then go after support. It can take a long time. There have been
independent SAR groups that spent 10 years convincing local authorities to
dispatch them on an emergency basis.
 Irv Lichtenstein