Mounted search and rescue

["Jorene Downs" <Jorene@CEOates.com>]

Urban SAR logistics can be very different from Wilderness SAR - how convenient, Irv, to be so close to civilization that you have all those local resources readily available instead of providing and doing most everything yourself!

 

In comparison … probably 99% of our county call-outs are wilderness, with most of them deep and steep mountain backcountry. The norm for us is planning at least 1 overnight either at camp or in the field. The vast majority of the time the CP, staging area, etc., is all set up at a trailhead that is commonly at the end of a long narrow dirt road that is buried in snow during winter. It commonly takes several hours to drive there. We have a CP destination identified prior to activation of resources. If the location isn’t one we’ve used frequently before and has a location name all responders will recognize, activation includes the lat-long.

 

Traffic control is rarely an issue, but I recall years ago zooming up the mountain for an injured rider carryout and stopping roadside for a few minutes to help 2 local volunteer  Fire rescue the injured driver of a vehicle off the side of the road – luckily in a low angle area where she was blocked by trees instead of off a cliff -  and I think 1 car drove past in the controlled single lane. ;-)

 

Hasty command includes a mobile CP trailer with communications. If we want outside communications beyond satellite phone (we very rarely have cell service up the mountain) we request the communications trailer from State mutual aid to provide phone land lines, Internet, etc., via satellite. Often we need to bring in water (300 gal water buffalo that can be towed off and be refilled), portable toilets, cook trailer, BYO method to tether / contain the horses and mules, etc. We police our own area to clean up prior to departing. If resources are sleeping in camp instead of in the field, most pitch a tent or have a vehicle rigged for sleeping. The vast majority of our personal response vehicles, including towing vehicles, are 4wd so we don’t have the ground clearance issues common to street vehicles.

 

Since we have major elevation changes during response and in the field, which is already stressful on the mounts, we don’t add to that stress by providing feed they aren’t already accustomed to. We’re a long way from any ambulance or helicopter medical response, and even further from equine medical help. Even at the CP we’d be several hours drive from vet services, much less if rider and sick / injured horse are out in the field multiple hours ride away. So wilderness MSAR includes haul in your own horse water for at least 24 hours, and enough feed for 72. If the SAR runs longer we arrange for a team member still down in the valley to bring feed up the mountain. And trailers and field packs contain more than bare bones equine first aid.

 

- - - - - -

Jorene Downs

SAR & CERT

Mounted SAR

www.ceoates.com/msar

 

 

From: IRVIN LICHTENSTEIN [mailto:ilichten1@verizon.net]

[…]

“Soldiers study tactics, generals study logistics, ” or something like that.  If we are going to be in the field overnight we order the comforts of home--- canteen truck, field com unit, potable water tenders (we call them tankers here), set up corrals, call the local hay dealer, and the mushroom growers to clean up. Can’t have an adverse environmental impact.  If we are at an established campsite there is usually a well and portables.  If not the logistics guy arranges for everything.  One county EMA director got us the parking lot of a museum, complete with hoses to cool down the stock, 2 com vans (one was a 45 foot MCI coach), unlimited cell phone service, and one pot for every 10 searchers.  And a bunch of public works people to clean up after us.  All the search manager wanted to do was sit in the sun instead of using all the air conditioned technology. 

 

We try not to roll without knowing where we will be setting up, dropping off, and parking.  While I use a 4 horse stock bumper pull which is relatively maneuverable many now use 3 horse slant loads or tack room equipped low riders behind crew cab duallies and campers.  The slightest bump can hang one of these up or get it somewhere where it has to be backed out very carefully.  We may scout the route or rely on local knowledge, and try to avoid getting boxed in.