Mounted search and rescue

["Tm' Fi" <tfinkle@erols.com>]

[Removed HTML duplicate.  -Una]


Mike,

The testing is the same way in this region too.  Around here and for the 
most part the NASAR FUNSAR course prepares a person for the SAR Tech II 
testing.  When taking the SAR Tech II exam, if a person passes the 
written exam but fails the field test, they will receive a NASAR SAR 
Tech III certification.  It should be noted that passing the "online" 
NASAR SAR Tech III test does NOT grant a person NASAR SAR Tech III 
certification, it simply provides an equivalent certificate.   Only 
those taking a proctored NASAR SAR Tech III exam will receive a NASAR 
SAR Tech III certification.  

Personally I believe the national standard "minimum" ground SAR 
requirements for MSAR personnel should include the successful completion 
of a recognized 40 hour fundamentals of SAR course (such as the NASAR or 
PACE FUNSAR, and the successful completion of a recognized written 
examination (such as the NASAR online SAR Tech III test).  As another  
example SAR standards, the State of Virginia has its own ground SAR 
certification which has Call out qualified (COQ),  Field team member 
(FTM) and Field team leader (FTL). These standards (including MSAR 
standards) can be viewed at: <http://vasarco.fovfr.org/index.php>

Tomi`
Commander
TROT-SAR Mounted Team
State of Maryland
Tomi.Finkle@trot-sar.org
www.TROT-SAR.Org