Mounted search and rescue

[una.smith@att.net]

Like Chris, I live in very high relief terrain.  Communication dead spots are 
a familiar problem.  But it has been my experience that the worst terrain for 
dead spots is low rolling hills in rural areas.  There, demand for cell and 
radio repeater coverage is low and relative high points that would provide 
good coverage are scant.

Chris describes two separate problems that interact.  One problem is the 
presence of these dead spots.  The other problem is the temporary lack of a 
communications modality during the initial phase of a search.  In Chris's 
case, there was a dead spot on public safety radio, that hadamateur radio 
coverage but IC had not yet set up amateur radiocapability for that search.

Dead spots can be filled by deploying a repeater on the ground or in the air. 
 Or by having the ability to use multiple communications modes:  public 
safety radio, amateur radio, cell phone, satellite phone.  Those modes have 
different propagation and, generally, ground stations are on separate towers, 
so that some radio dead spots have cell phone coverage, and vice versa.

Lack of resources, however transient, is a feature of initial search periods. 
 That is one reason why initial hasty search tasks should be assigned to 
experienced field teams.

Andrew has given several good tactics for dealing with dead spots.  Here are 
some more.  Your team's comm person can record the time, sender, and summary 
of all radio transmissions sent *and* received, even if not meant for your 
team.  It helps if your comm person also notes in the comm log your team's 
location at set time points and the time at which your team reaches key 
locations.  A check of the radio comm log can then reveal your passage 
through likely dead spots that you were not aware of at the time.  When you 
check in, you can tell IC you have heard no comm since time N. This helps IC 
know what information you may be lacking.  Also, you can plan your route or, 
if you have no route choice, plan where to try to make comm contact with IC 
or with another field team that can relay a message to IC for you.

OB-MSAR:  keeping a legible written log while on horseback can be difficult.  
I have found it very helpful to keep the log on a PDA, which I can operate 
even while the horse moves out.  It is especially nice to use a data logging 
application that automatically records the time as you record an entry.  The 
downside of a PDA is the risk of it dying.

    Una Smith
    New Mexico