Mounted search and rescue

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

Our state accredited cops are EMT-AED qualified on leaving the academy and
the city career fire department has 100% EMT and is always short on
Paramedics. 

The reason most SAR personnel stop at the First Aid level is that more
advanced training is not made available to them.  To gain admission to an
EMT class requires sponsorship by a licensed EMS provider or other
government agency with EMS as part of its charter.  To be a paramedic you
not only have to be employed by an ALS service but you have to run numerous
calls to maintain your skill level. EMTs need 24 hours of CE every 3 years
and Paramedics need 24 hours a year plus documented use of skills. You will
not get the use in a SAR organization. Even the CE's are hard-- I run fire
so I get annual refresher for HazMat Ops and other non-medical skills
required but only 1 refresher counts during the 3 years.  I have to go to
the local trauma center's case reviews for my medical CE's. They have 26 per
year, 1 hour credit each.  
 
If we want to set minimums for rescue qualified SAR personnel we will have
to set it at a level they can obtain training for. And unless the SAR
organization wants to and can afford to set up a First Responder in house it
will probably not happen. 

Irv Lichtenstein