Mounted search and rescue

[T'mi Fi <tfinkle@erols.com>]

Margie,

If you live in the State of Virginia you will need to meet the Mounted 
Standards of the Virginia Search and Rescue Council (VASARCo), once your 
team is formally evaluated, VASARCo will then recommend your MSAR team 
for a MOU with Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM). You 
may want to talk with VDEM's State SAR Coordinator who keeps track of 
all volunteer SAR teams within the State.

Our Mounted Team has been an associate member of VASARCo for many years. 
Since we now have several members who live in Northern Virginia, we are 
having the team evaluated next month (during a mock search) for a formal 
MOU.  How many horses does your team plan to have?  Most of the Mounted 
Teams in the mid-Atlantic Region work in pairs (2 horse and Riders).  If 
you want to come to the Front Royal area and be one of the victims for 
the Mock Search, you are more than welcome and see how we assign MSAR 
tasks.  We already have one bloodhound scheduled and the exercise only 
has one tasking for that type of specialty.

Tomi`
TROTSAR Mounted Team 



margie wrote:

> I am the Officer in Charge and Training Director of a K9 Search & Recovery
> Unit, and OIC of the Sheriff's Office Volunteer SAR unit too. 
>
> What I would like to know is who, where, and some background info of
> training folks in MSAR are available on the EAST coast that would not
> require a potential MSAR candidate to mortgage his home to pay for training?
> Some of the fees I am reading about are absurd, and totally ridiculous.
>
> I run a Bloodhound in scent specific Mantrailing, who is additionally cross
> trained to hunt land /water cadaver.  He additionally is trained in article
> recovery work.  We are activated by Law enforcement and stay extremely busy.
> The idea of MSAR in our unit completes the package. So, therefore, I have
> started the ground work with an Arabian Quarter cross, to add a MSAR element
> to our SAR Unit.
>
> Looking forward to reading further posts, and learning from you all.
> M. Spencer
> OIC V K9 SSSAR Unit
> Virginia