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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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  • From: Una Smith <una.smith@att.net>
  • To: Mounted search and rescue <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] MSAR Presentation
  • Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2008 23:27:56 -0600

I hope this thread is conveying the key point: the devil is in the details
of Who is your audience? What do they want from you? What do they have to
offer you? If the agencies that call you for searches have no interest in
nor ability to support your training, then a presentation to them about "the
great things you could do if only someone would teach you how" is at best
wasted effort.

Consider approaching from another direction. Review the past X years of
SAR missions. This may involve interviewing area SAR managers, which is a
useful exercise in its own right. Present how you (meaning any and all
local MSAR resources), using your actual current capabilities, could have
contributed to those missions. What specific tasks might MSAR have done?
But, as Jorene aluded, take care re phrasing, tone of voice, expression,
not to convey even a hint of complaint that you were not called for those
missions.

I am not familiar with backcountry regulations in Maine, but here in New
Mexico restrictions prohibiting motorized vehicles in wilderness areas are
not suspended for SAR missions. For that reason, ATV, motorcycle, and
offroad 4x4 SAR resources cannot be sent there. In those areas, in most
cases, MSAR can move faster and farther than groundpounder. So that's an
important use of MSAR resources. Some MSAR field teams also do a lot of
off-trail task assignments; those are teams comprised of ranchers and
retired military and others who can navigate effectively off trail. And
there is the standard line search in tall grass / low brush; foot teams
may be *delighted* to have MSAR search there, and response by MSAR for
these missions tends to be very high. Many MSAR teams hasty search on
trails and service roads that are too damaged for vehicles. A few MSAR
teams, located where many SAR missions involve carrying out the subject,
deploy litters or carry out the litter carriers' packs. As a favor to
the coroner's office, some MSAR teams also do body recoveries. This is
one task that must be approached with extreme caution; some people will
discover in the middle of the task assignment that it is something they
do not want to be doing. The experience can put them off SAR entirely.
Rarely do we give a subject a horseback ride; most subjects who cannot
walk out also are not fit to ride out. Being both scent and track aware
is very important. Given our terrain, we have very few night missions;
many missions will be suspended (apart from containment) at night or in
bad weather for the safety of the responders. That pretty much sums up
what we do in New Mexico.

I would be interested to hear what is common, or not common, elsewhere.
Also, that may help our startup members figure out where to focus their
own efforts.

Again, start from the key questions:

What task assignments in my area are most common and/or hardest to fill?
What task assignments in my area are most suitable for MSAR resources?
Can I now (or could I, after training) do any of those task assignments?

Una Smith
New Mexico




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