Mounted search and rescue

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

Irv wrote:
> Maybe we should start a referral service-- out of town search managers
> provided to your local community.

That is one purpose of having a statewide SAR resource directory, and I am
glad to see more and more states putting together resource directories.
In some states the resource directory is maintained within a state agency;
in other states the directory is compiled by the teams that are active in
the state, often through their statewide membership organization.

I have responded many times for SAR missions hundreds of miles from home,
but in my experience the New Mexico SAR responders who travel farthest and
most often are those few who are qualified to work as Incident Commander.
I am only qualified as a field team member and as a Planning Section Chief.
(New Mexico does not recognize field team leaders;  those are chosen from
within the fields teams.  A field team is a small group of people who are
assigned a task to perform together in the field.)  As a Planning Section
Chief, I have begun to meet and work with SAR managers from all across the
state.

Re Kari Sasso's question about individual training for SAR, using Incident
Command System (ICS), SAR management roles are filled by individuals, but
I think the best SAR managers are people who also have experience working
in the field as a member of a field team.  One way to do that is to be the
backup person who follows a SAR dog team (handler and dog).  This follower
ideally handles navigation, radio communications, and note taking for the
dog team.  Trackers also benefit from this kind of backup.

Individual training helps you perform both individual and team tasks.  All
field teams, regardless of task assignment, need someone proficient in 
navigation.  Navigation involves reading both a map and the terrain, or
just the terrain, if you don't have a map.  To learn navigation, Thor's
recommendation to contact a local Scout troop is good.  Another way is to
join an orienteering club.  My local club sees a lot of Scout troops at
its orienteering meets, BTW.

You need basic training in navigation if you don't know how to:
* aim off
* use handrails
* use catching features
* use attack points

        Una Smith
        New Mexico