Mounted search and rescue

[Dana Mc <k9preydrive@yahoo.com>]

Never said it DIDN'T exist. :) Of course they do. But without the right coordiantion and understanding they don't go together as I mentioned.

It's  like sayin sugar, vanilla, chocolate, flour, water, salt exist...doesn't mean they are put together all the time and in the right mixture to make Mom's homemade chocolate chip cookies!

And being that I trained in CA with what was considered a backwoods county there, and then moved to Southern IL where SAR understanding is TRULY 20 years behind, I can tell you that many of you and your discussions, will never see light in this part of the world...not for at least 10 or 20 years. Local ESDAs still send out fire, spontanteous vols, cops, local boys with dogs... and the coordination is left to the wind.

Things get done. Don't get me wrong. But they are not what you see in more prepared and ready SAR environments. It is changing. But very slowly.

The scenario I proposed sounds like a dream comparitively and our team here strives to work towards that goal of cooperation. But it takes more than one team to do it. And this state's head EMA (IEMA) is not focusing on SAR at all. In fact they cut it out of their organization in 2001. Left it to individual counties to care for. And the decline began.

I love listening in on groups such as this. I glean pearls of wisdom all the time. And I appreciate all of your enthusiasm that you have for what you do. I just try to take away a few things now and then that will help 1) our team and 2) SAR in this region. Just wish our state would take as much interest.

Good luck to you all, and if you lived in such a blessed area such as Irv, or those of you in CA and other similar places, count your stars! :) Or move here and help us out! lol

Dana










Message: 2
Date: Sun, 02 Aug 2009 08:51:42 -0400
From: "IRVIN LICHTENSTEIN" <ilichten1@verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Dogs, Horses....rats in SAR :)
To: "'Mounted search and rescue'" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <0KNR00KTO2BWIBK0@vms173009.mailsrvcs.net" href="mailto:0KNR00KTO2BWIBK0@vms173009.mailsrvcs.net">0KNR00KTO2BWIBK0@vms173009.mailsrvcs.net>
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In Pennsylvania anyway, if not the rest of the world:

Let's see-flankers were introduced to the air scent dog world about 1982 or
3, formal use of air scent horses 1986, we had a VHF license and permission
to talk to other agencies from 1980 or so (and the state SAR council had a
statewide multi-channel license by 1987) and one member did have a TV
equipped model helicopter by 1989. So, much of the world you want has been
around for a while, and coordinated responses as well.  (By the way it has
been illegal for an organization to have a GMRS license for at least 10
years, individuals only). The problem is that people don't study history,
they relive it.



What we didn't have 10 years ago was portable GPS and laptops, but then we
didn't need as many types of spare batteries either.



Irv Lichtenstein