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msar-riders - [MSAR] SAR Perspectives / Training Conference idea?--facility

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  • From: "Jorene Downs" <Jorene@CEOates.com>
  • To: "'Mounted search and rescue'" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [MSAR] SAR Perspectives / Training Conference idea?--facility
  • Date: Mon, 25 May 2009 06:14:29 -0700

SAR folks can have very different ideas about what is appropriate response time, how far away to look for additional resources, how many days of supplies to carry, etc. Irv’s mention of typical large open space on the east coast being 1200 acres to 9200 acres clearly demonstrates why it is difficult sometimes for SAR in a “smaller parks” region to relate to SAR in other regions with notably larger open space, and the reverse is also true.  

 

I also should mention that Irv’s public lands “typical” acreage numbers for the east coast parks don’t reflect Adirondack Park and Forest Preserve - 6.1 million acres in Upstate NY. (Larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky, and Everglades National Parks combined.) Obviously “vast” open space is also present on the east coast since this is the largest park in the nation outside of Alaska.

 

Searching the more vast and remote open space has different challenges, just like searches closer to transportation and a population base have issues not common to deep wilderness searches when someone goes missing. For example, one search manager may have people checking nearby roads and public transportation options, while another is calling for more resources with 72 hour packs and positioning some searchers on key remote trail intersections.

 

For perspective …

There are many farms and ranches in the size category of 1,000-10,000 acres.   (Irv’s east coast large open space comment indicated typical 1200-9200, which would be comparable in size.) Many are larger than 10,000. Less than a mile from me is a 36,000 acre ranch, and there are larger ranches in the county and the state. The largest privately held contiguous property in CA is Tejon Ranch with 270,000 acres. The King Ranch in TX is something like 825,000 acres – one of the largest ranches in the world -  and there are 100,000+ acre ranches around the country and world.   

 

Ranch acreage can certainly be vast … and is often adjacent to other ranches or public lands. So there is potential in some regions that a SAR starting in public lands can end up including large ranch acreage. In some circumstances the missing person may have been reported last seen on the ranch itself. (A good time to know in advance the horse is desensitized to that ranch’s livestock.)

 

My local perspective …

In my county in CA, the Sequoia National Forest is 1,144,235 acres (1,787.87 square miles) with 850 miles of trails … and that is only 1 of several wilderness public land regions with shared boundaries, all in the same county operational area. I suspect close to half of the county is in public lands. (Parks, Forests, Wilderness Areas, etc.) Mt. Whitney is 14,505 feet – the highest summit in the contiguous United States. (The peak is the county line.) Access into the mountains is very limited, with narrow, winding, steep roads that means limitations for trailers longer than a certain length even on the few primary access roads.

The vastness and remoteness of the response area explains why I have great appreciation for MSAR with substantial mountain backcountry riding experience, and a bonus is being skilled in mountain back country packing. There are some good MSAR units in the central valley who choose to *not* respond into the mountains for mutual aid because they did before and later decided they lack sufficient mountain riding experience to be effective as mounted “mountain” searchers. Those same MSAR units have far more experience than our local MSAR in more populated areas. We address the needs of our own response areas, and provide resources to others when requested and appropriate.

 

For a broader perspective …

There are many counties / SAR operational areas larger than the one I live in. For example, San Bernardino County, CA, is the largest county in the USA (aside from four of Alaska's districts) by area – 12,867,200 acres (20,105 sq. miles) -  and is larger than each of the 9 smallest states. (MD and smaller. West VA is about 4000 sq miles larger.) San Bernardino has several large public lands in the county, not to mention substantial area in desert and mountains. Population tends to be grouped, often with huge amounts of open land between.

 

San Bernardino County’s solution to SAR in their huge jurisdiction was to create management and response units with a primary response in their own area, but available elsewhere in the county or for mutual aid outside the jurisdiction. Some teams are more oriented to desert, others more to mountains, etc.  A countywide SAR council helps keep the various units pointed in the same direction with county requirements that meet / exceed State’s for the various resource types, joint training, etc. (Correct me if I didn’t get this right, Chris!)

 

Sorry, for any more specific global information for perspective, you’re on your own. ;-) 

 

The above mostly focuses on how “open space” can mean something entirely different to someone in a different region. Even something like the minimum size of the MSAR team in the field can be different, usually influenced by accessibility for support for that team, with the common 2-3 rider team increased to 4 by the time there is substantial distance involved, or increased to a larger number if needed to perform the mission.

 

There are obviously other issues we should consider for MSAR, but I hope this has given people a better perspective of how others in SAR / MSAR may have a very different view and expectation, based on what they are accustomed to locally. Hopefully it gets folks thinking. For example, knowing there is a ranch down the street almost 4 times larger than the reported east coast typical open space got me thinking about how a smaller open space surrounded by a populated area requires some different management thinking … and those issues may be related to MSAR resources, with different options for missions.

 

Regardless, the same foundation in SAR / MSAR training should prepare us all to respond to any region that doesn’t have notable challenges that we don’t have experience with, or aren’t equipped for as a responder. We can all learn from each other to build a more solid foundation, spread the word, and also look for ways to expand capabilities.

 

Now that I’ve rattled everyone’s cage, I’ll (literally) go close the suitcase and disappear offline for a week. J

 

- - - - - -

Jorene Downs

SAR & CERT

Mounted SAR

www.ceoates.com/msar

 

 

From: IRVIN LICHTENSTEIN

[…] In the East the really large areas are public lands with typical parks ranging from 1200 acres to 9200 acres.  […]

 




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