Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <una.smith@att.net>]

Karen Nesbitt wrote:
[...]
>  A FEW WORDS ON MSAR ASSEMBLY - 
>  As for when a search ride comes together for the real thing, a
>quick assessment of each riders abilities is required and it must
>be done quiclkly and efficiently at startup.
>  It is not uncommon for the riders to break off in groups and
>each group then also needs someone acting as leader.

For those who don't recall Karen's prior posts describing her 
background, she has been a spontaneous volunteer on two searches.
To me, her comments clearly reflect the unique experience of a
spontaneous volunteer.  It is very different from the experience
of a member of a trained, established SAR team that ensures its
novices are mentored.

Karen, groups of searchers splitting off in the field is a total
nightmare for SAR management.  In the field during a real search
is the *last* place to be hashing out leadership issues.


>  I also don't know how any mock drill can  bring forth the
>adrenaline that comes with any given real search

In my experience, most of that adrenaline is due to the dynamics
of working on a life and death mission with a group of strangers.
Whew!  That has almost nothing to do with the SAR mission itself.

My first formal search with an MSAR team was extremely stressful
for me.  But that was because I did not know the other members
of the field team well enough then.  I was a very new recruit,
but due to my background they all agreed I could handle both the
riding and the SAR, and they gave me the full immersion treatment.
I could indeed handle the riding and the SAR.  However, at that
point I lacked a solid working relationship with any of them.  It
takes time to build a team and develop trust.  Since then, I have
developed a profound trust in every single member of that field
team, and riding on a SAR mission with any of them always gives
me a deep sense of personal safety and complete confidence that,
no matter what happens, we will do our job well.

Nowadays, the only time I feel as much stress as the first time
is if I am asked to lead a field team of spontaneous volunteers
or another unit's novices, all strangers to me.  That is always
scary!  Far too many unknowns.

        Una Smith
        New Mexico