Mounted search and rescue

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

SE PA SAR’s current training cycle is one night per month in the classroom, one ride in a major park each month and one ride in another park every other month.  Both Parks are about 3500 acres each and are heavily used by equestrians so becoming familiar with the terrain is useful.  All the rides require trailering in so the horses get used to being hauled and the riders get used to trailering.  We are also supporting a major historical reenactment the end of April for the local driving community and plan two fundraising rides per year, the first to happen this spring just before Memorial Day.   Additionally, our members keep up their CPR/First Aid ratings on their own time and many ride in competitive trail or endurance events as well.  This also applies to EMTs and medical professionals who must achieve 24 hours of continuing education credit each period, and sometimes more to retain their volunteer credentials.  Major courses, such as Managing Search Operations, are also separately scheduled and increase the time commitment.

 

We have found that the classroom instruction is hard to liven up and keep interesting as the major topics have to be covered each cycle (map and compass for instance) and field work is more interesting because it involves their mount, perhaps a new place to ride, and some competitiveness between members.  We are striving to have the classroom stuff over the winter and have more field stuff in the good weather.  We are also looking at moving some or all of our classroom training to a more easily accessed location. The facility we use now is a county training center with the most up to date training technology and simulation facilities imaginable but it is not near an interstate for access.  We are looking at a park education center which is next to a major junction of interstate highways for ease of access, but we may need to rent the facility each night or pay a cleanup fee. 

 

Irv Lichtenstein

SE PA SAR

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