Mounted search and rescue

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

MSAR-Riders,

I have received a query off-list from MSAR-Riders subscriber Tom Agnew, re
how to develop a mounted SAR team in Alabama.  Because such queries are so
frequent and not unique to Alabama, and because my reply is necessarily
generic (I have no direct experience with SAR in Alabama), I am replying
to the list for the benefit of everyone.

Begin reply...

Welcome to MSAR-Riders, Tom.

First, I should mention you are not the first person in Alabama to ask me
these same questions!  From http://www.ibiblio.org/msar/msar-riders a fast
search of our archive for "Alabama" turns up some likely contacts for you:

Paul Fleming pfleming@nwlink.com on behalf of members of his MSAR team who
were moving to Huntsville.

Phil Hundley PHEUHU@aol.com, Smith Station.

Carrie Cooper fancycarrie@yahoo.com fax 334-365-1400, Auatauga County.

Dick Pritchett qrfarm@cableone.net 

Susan Wright owright@internetpro.net

Ms Terilynne Oliver terilynne3@yahoo.com 


In many states private teams aka independent teams answer to no one.  They 
often have a hard time getting called too.  You are in Alabama, yes?  Best
as I can tell from afar, in Alabama the agency having jurisdiction (AHJ)
for SAR in most of the state would be the relevant county sheriff's office.
National parks and national forests are separate AHJs, and some may even
have their own SAR teams made up of salaried employees and/or volunteers.
Where the AHJ is a county sheriff's office, it is common for SAR teams to
be affiliated with, sometimes even led by, trained by, and funded by the
sheriff's office.  Where leadership, training, and funding are not offered
from that office, it is normal for SAR teams in the county to be entirely
independent.  Does Alabama have significant lands under management by one
state agency?  That agency would be another AHJ you may need to work with.

Bylaws etc vary greatly, depending on whether you are sponsored by an AHJ
or are independent.  A SAR team organized within a sheriff's office may
need no formal bylaws, but should have SOPs derived from the office's own
SOPs.  An independent team may need to organize as a nonprofit corporation
within the state, and secondary to that may need to file form 1023 with
the IRS to get an IRS letter of determination as a charitable nonprofit.
I would consult other SAR teams in Alabama and the Alabama Association of
Rescue Squads (ALARS;  see below).

Some states do have state regulations concerning SAR, but Alabama appears
not to be one of those states.  The ALARS website has a link to a draft 
"EMS Bill".

You should get acquainted with established SAR teams in Alabama.  Compared
to SAR teams, mounted horse patrols often have very little involvement in
SAR.  It is my view that good mounted SAR teams have far more in common with
other specialty SAR teams than with typical mounted patrols, parade posses,
drill teams, saddle clubs, and the like.

Here are some links:

http://www.sarzone.net/teams/us.al.shtml
http://www.alars.org/

The ALARS website has a flyer about a "Basic SAR Class" offered by Walker
County Rescue on March 26-27, 2010:
http://www.alars.org/Training/SARClassMar26.pdf

answers to your questions depend on information

On Thu, Feb 11, 2010 at 12:55:54PM -0500, tom agnew wrote:
>  I got in touch with you a few days ago about a private S A R unit. I will 
> try not to bother you to much but I would like to find some things out if 
> possible.
>Would it be possible to fine out who do these units work under and who do we 
>answer too. Also what are  the regulations for a unit if any. Also what kind 
>of minimum training does a unit have to have. Who check out there training? 
>What kind of bi laws do they have to obey?
>
>
> Tom AGNEW

-- 
        Una Smith
        New Mexico