Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <msar@ibiblio.org>]

Jeff Ezell wrote:
>I talked with Brian Adams at GEMA 478 993-4618 If you call him he will
>explain what the SAR licensing requirements are in GA. MSAR may be
>something not well defined yet. So let us know. With GA SAR K9s they
>must be licensed as a handler-K9 team. If one handler works three K9s
>they will require 3 licenses. It will be interesting to see if that
>holds with riders & multiple mounts. Let us know what you find out.
>Is this type "licensing" coming to other states? Is it a good or bad
>thing?

Okay, a little research and...tada!  Georgia has an Act, effective
January 1 2001, that pertains to this.

http://www.ganet.org/services/leg/ShowBillPre.cgi?year=1999&filename=1999/HB1311

It is very short, so here is the whole thing.

--------------------------------snip--------------------------------

Bill Status
Previous full text revisions: 02/01/00

    
HB 1311
    
Emergency mgmt; cert search
and rescue dog teams; licensing
    
1. Jenkins  110th         2. Twiggs  8th             3. Day  153rd
    
House Comm: PubS       /                Senate Comm: Pub S      / 
House Vote: Yeas 164   Nays 0           Senate Vote: Yeas 51  Nays 0
              ----------------------------------------
               House          Action         Senate
              ----------------------------------------
              2/2/00   Read 1st Time         2/29/00
              2/3/00   Read 2nd Time         3/6/00
              2/17/00  Favorably Reported    3/3/00
              2/28/00  Read 3rd Time         3/20/00
              2/28/00  Passed/Adopted        3/20/00
              FA       Comm/Floor Amend/Sub
              3/28/00  Sent to Governor       
              4/19/00  Signed by Governor     
              646      Act/Veto Number        
              1/1/01   Effective Date
              ----------------------------------------
    
Code Sections amended: 38-3-36

First Reader

1. Jenkins  110th         2. Twiggs  8th             3. Day  153rd
    
HB 1311
    
A BILL to amend Article 2 of Chapter 3 of Title 38 of the Official
Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the organization and
administration of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, so as to
provide for the licensing of nongovernmental search and rescue dog
teams; to prohibit the performance of any rescue or emergency
management activity by such nongovernmental search and rescue dog
teams unless licensed; and for other purposes.

Full Text

    
HB 1311                                            HB 1311/FA
      
      H. B. No. 1311 (AM)
      By:  Representatives Jenkins of the 110th, Twiggs of the 8th
      and Day of the 153rd
      
      
                        A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                               AN ACT
    
    
 1  To amend Article 2 of Chapter 3 of Title 38 of the Official
 2  Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the organization and
 3  administration of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency,
 4  so as to provide for the licensing of nongovernmental search
 5  and rescue dog teams; to prohibit the performance of any
 6  rescue or emergency management activity by such
 7  nongovernmental search and rescue dog teams unless licensed;
 8  to provide for a registry of governmental and
 9  nongovernmental search and rescue dog teams; to require
10  certain information to be provided to the Georgia Emergency
11  Management Agency; to authorize the director of emergency
12  management to provide for training and licensing standards
13  by rules and regulations; to repeal conflicting laws; and
14  for other purposes.
    
15       BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
    
16                           SECTION 1.
    
17  Article 2 of Chapter 3 of Title 38 of the Official Code of
18  Georgia Annotated, relating to the organization and
19  administration of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency,
20  is amended by striking in its entirety Code Section 38-3-36,
21  relating to director's authority to license nongovernmental
22  rescue organizations, and inserting in its place a new Code
23  Section 38-3-36 to read as follows:
    
24    "38-3-36.
    
25    (a) Except as otherwise provided by subsection (b) of this
26    Code section, all nongovernmental rescue organizations,
27    associations, groups, teams, search and rescue dog teams,
28    or individuals, whether or not they are holders of a
29    charter issued by this state or officers thereof, shall be
30    prohibited from performing any rescue or emergency
31    management type activity until the organization,
32    association, group, team, search and rescue dog team, or
33    individual has been licensed by the director of emergency
34    management to perform the activities. It is expressly
    
    
                             H. B. No. 1311
                                 -1-
    
                                                  HB 1311/FA
    
 1    declared that Articles 1 through 3 of this chapter shall
 2    not amend, repeal, alter, or affect in any manner Code
 3    Section 51-1-29.
    
 4    (b) Any marine rescue squadron sponsored by and operating
 5    under the direction and control of the sheriff of the
 6    county of residence of the squadron and chartered as a
 7    Marine Rescue Squadron of America, which was so chartered
 8    on January 1, 1960, or prior to that date, and which
 9    performs only water or boat safety rescue missions within
10    this state, shall be deemed to be a governmental rescue
11    organization within the meaning of subsection (a) of this
12    Code section and need not be licensed by the director of
13    emergency management as provided in the subsection.
    
14    (c) The director of emergency management shall promulgate
15    rules and regulations for training and licensing standards
16    for private search and rescue dog teams.  The director
17    shall maintain a registry of public and private search and
18    rescue dog teams operating within the state.  Any public
19    or private organization which provides rescue services in
20    this state utilizing search and rescue dog teams shall
21    register with the director the name and address of the
22    organization, a 24 hour telephone number to be used for
23    contact during emergencies, the counties in which the
24    search and rescue dog teams provide service, the types of
25    specialized search and rescue dog teams which are
26    available, and such other information as the director may
27    require by rule and regulation."
    
28                           SECTION 2.
    
29  This bill shall become effective January 1, 2001.
    
30                           SECTION 3.
    
31  All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are
32  repealed.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
                             H. B. No. 1311
                                 -2-

--------------------------------snip--------------------------------


        Una Smith
        New Mexico

Mounted Search and Rescue
http://www.ibiblio.org/msar/

MSAR-Riders
http://www.ibiblio.org/msar/msar-riders.html