Mounted search and rescue

[Cathy <bmr@calinet.com>]

Irv,

I totally believe the point you are making.  My unit has been performing 
SAR functions for years with no training required.  Supposedly you needed 
CPR and 1st aid but that hasn't been checked in the 2 years I have attended 
meetings.  Pretty much all you have to do to be able to Search is become a 
member and pass a mounted prof. test.  No tracking, no clue awareness, nothing.

So, I believe we need a whole complement of training and am receiving some 
resistance.  Admin is beginning to step in and encourage more focus on SAR, 
but I am having to be careful not to push too hard all at once.

Anyways, I did already get your CD (or was it from someone else on this 
list?) and was just asking if anyone had anymore that I could research.

I have gone thru the MSAR riders archives and bopped around the ASTM 
site.  Our groundpounder team has great organization and I am trying to get 
some info from them to work from.

        "I am presuming your sheriff has an incident command structure in 
place,
        mutual aid or volunteer MOU's, and outside resource lists. 
Learning how to
        search is very much like learning how to hunt. You need outdoor 
skills to
        survive, knowledge of your subject(s) behavior patterns, the 
capabilities of
        your personnel and others on the job, and experience beyond 
getting your
        ticket punched."

Absolutely, and this is exactly my point to my unit.  We don't currently 
have training and I want some guidelines in place so that members will get 
the training that we need to perform well in the field.

And as you probably have figured out by reading my posts, my writing skills 
are not up to par with what would be needed to write the SOP/SOG.  I will 
be getting help on that score.

Thank you all for your input.
Cathy

At 12:38 AM 2/15/2006 -0500, you wrote:

> Before you write SOG's on search and training for search I believe you
> should read the background material in the MSAR-ASTM archives, and both the
> ASTM F2209 standard and the NASAR skill tests. Writing a how to do it manual
> for search is a very complex task and you should be focused when you do it.
> I think you will find existing texts on search management useful.
> If you cannot gain access to the ASTM archives I can send you the material
> (about 20 MB) on a CD.
> I am presuming your sheriff has an incident command structure in place,
> mutual aid or volunteer MOU's, and outside resource lists.  Learning how to
> search is very much like learning how to hunt. You need outdoor skills to
> survive, knowledge of your subject(s) behavior patterns, the capabilities of
> your personnel and others on the job, and experience beyond getting your
> ticket punched.
>
> Irv Lichtenstein
>
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