Mounted search and rescue

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

Linda brings up another point—what are your organizations’ official missions? I don’t mean what defines a dispatch but what does it say on your mission statement or organizational purpose? Is it just SAR and directly related training and public education? Or is it something else as well because of funding agencies or merely to get recognition?  When SE PA SAR was proposed to the county public safety department for recognition it was justified on several grounds—search of course, but Large Animal Rescue (on farms and in barns), Transportation of Animals Accident assistance, and Disaster Relocation of Livestock planning and operations assistance was included. These are federal response planning requirements in the US and justified using some limited funds from a regional counter terrorism task force for pagers, and a radio, and officially recognizing the organization as an emergency responder.  Being an official responder also gets the organization invited to seminars given by the EMA, access to fire, rescue, EMS  training at reduced costs, tax free status, and access to government pre-bid supply schedules (usually the best prices around).  Our members are recognized as emergency responders, are exempt from fuel rationing in Pennsylvania, most transportation restrictions in an emergency, and their horses are police animals, just like police department owned patrol dogs are. But we are an NGO, not part of another police, fire or EMS agency or the EMA.

 

Irv Lichtenstein

 

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From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of David Leadbetter
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 8:09 PM
To: Mounted search and rescue
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Fwd: Volunteer Efforts Aside from Searching