Mounted search and rescue

["IRVIN LICHTENSTEIN" <ilichten1@verizon.net>]

Field or tactical communications are essential to any operation. Regardless
of type the incident commander needs to know what is going on in the field
and the field needs to know what has changed since they began their task. 

My personal preference has been to use 150 MHz public safety radio. The
portables can run a true 5 watts, no individual operator license is
necessary, and you can often intercommunicate with other responders in the
same band.  While local fire, police and EMS in urban areas (like ours) have
shifted to trunked systems other agencies often involved in search have not.
PA DCNR, USCG, PA State Police (shift in progress to IP based system), the
CAP, US Forest and Park Services, the railroads, and others have remained in
the 150-175 MHz band. There is a ready source of used equipment in this band
where new radios are often less than $350 each and used ones can be had for
$55 each and sometimes free.  And these are keyboard programmable mil spec
radios with large (over 1400MAH) battery packs and smart chargers. And there
is the National Fire Cache for major emergencies. 

Most public events I have designed the management systems for in the past
used public safety radio.  The responders on course were responders first,
and radio operators second. Where they are radio operators first and
responders second you need more responders. Just as it is easier to train a
good rider to be a decent searcher than teaching a good searcher to be a
safe rider, it is easier to train a responder how to push the talk button
than it is to teach a radio person to be a good responder. You need more
than a communicator, you need a decision maker. 

There are numerous articles in the public safety trade journals on planning
for large events, from the Olympics down to a neighborhood block party.  

Irvin Lichtenstein