Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <una.smith@att.net>]

On Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 10:19:23PM -0400, Mjacksonz@aol.com wrote:
>I am sorry - hit the wrong key! 
> 
>Anyway I am just now doing resarch on how to organize and am flying a  
>little blind. Found  this list on the web. Any assistance is great - 
>Is the book Getting Ready for MSAR any good?

That book covers the absolute basics from the point of view of a
saddle club that would like to do MSAR.

If you are serious about SAR (mounted or not), then read about SAR.
Read about wilderness first aid, wilderness rescue, orienteering,
etc.  A grid search for evidence is all well and good but usually
not an emergency;  the dynamics and skill sets are very different.

What are you doing for communications?  Relying on personal cell
phones?  Amateur radio?  Public safety radio?

What kinds of missions do you expect?  What specific SAR need are
you all being recruited to perform?  Evidence searches?  Mysteriously
missing local residents?  Hikers who get in trouble?  (Many of these
are in bad weather;  are you prepared for that?)  Kids who wander
away from picnic areas?  What?  The kinds of missions you will need
to do determines what skills you will need.  Then look at your
abilities;  where do you need training to fill gaps in experience?


>When a calll comes in do  we plan to meet and then trailer together or  
>each person of couple go on their own? 

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.  It depends where your members live,
what their individual response times are, and where the mission is.
When you don't know the people well, it usually is wise to plan a
meeting point and caravan from there, or possibly move the horses
and tack between trailers to get full loads or load only trailers
(and trucks) suitable for where you will be driving.

You may find that some of your volunteers are unable to hook up or
load their trailer on their own.  They need a family member or a 
neighbor or friend to help them do it, and their helper is not
willing to get out of bed at 4am.  These volunteers may be unable
to respond for an emergency.  Some will not be comfortable driving
alone.  Some may be able to drive alone but want or need to drive
in a caravan, so they don't get lost.  You need to get to know
the people in your group;  only then will you be well equipped to
decide re whether to caravan or not.  It also is very important
that you have a leader and everyone agrees who that is.

You are in central Missouri, near a great permanent orienteering
course.  That would be a fabulous training tool for your group.  I
wish I had a permanent course to use for training.  The website:
http://www.mostateparks.com/rockbridge/orienteering.htm


I live in northern New Mexico, in the Jemez Mountains.  Currently
I do not respond for SAR with my horse;  instead, I do management
jobs (ICS Planning Section Chief) and some training.  I did respond
with my horse for several years, but currently I am not able to
keep my horse at the level of fitness required to work all day in
our terrain.  My SAR (not mounted) experience goes back 20 years,
at a low level of activity but in many parts of the world.  As a
Plans person, it is my job now to write task assignments for SAR
resources, including MSAR field teams.

New Mexico has a state-wide SAR system and a training manual for
all SAR resources, including MSAR, called "Field Certification
Study Guide".  You can download it from the web:  
http://www.nmesc.org/certification.htm


Good on you for taking on the challenge of starting an MSAR team.

        Una Smith
        New Mexico