Mounted search and rescue

["Jorene Downs" <Jorene@CEOates.com>]

From: "irvin lichtenstein" <ilichten1@verizon.net>
> 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.

Good info, Irv. I agree with all except for the travel estimate. We 
*commonly* respond with 3 hours of travel, sometimes more ... and still 
remain within our own county. And that is the Hasty Team traveling at speed 
to set up the CP and send the first wave of SAR folks out into the 
backcountry. Mounted might haul 4 hours or longer to get to the CP. But our 
county is the size of CT and climbs from valley floor to Mt Whitney, and the 
vast majority of our SAR is steep mountain wilderness, so we're dealing with 
twisting mountain roads for most of our call-outs.

So, much depends on the terrain, type of road, and the size of the agency's 
operational area. There is also the potential of Mutual Aid response to 
consider. Folks might be expected to travel your suggested 90 minutes, or 
several hours, depending on their local situation.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jorene Downs
Tulare Co SAR - Hasty Team ICP Team
www.ceoates.com/sar
Tulare-Kings CERT
www.tk-cert.org