Mounted search and rescue

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

Ginger Hannah wrote:
>this is last minute

Why is it last minute?  It shouldn't be.

Anyway, Ginger (and others who like Ginger may find themselves being
fingered for a SAR logistics role), one thing you should be doing now
is writing a medical plan for your mounted responders and their
mounts.  That would include a written list of local veterinary clinics
and mobile veterinarians, complete with phone numbers.  Also have on
hand a road map showing the locations of the clinics, and possibly
written driving directions from your staging area (the Ride and Share
lot) to the nearest one or two of those clinics.

Have a similar list of area hospitals, urgent care clinics, and the
like.  Again, because you are calling for volunteers from outside the
immediate area, you'll need a road map and driving directions.  Also
write a list of emergency transport services (road and air, fixed
wing and rotary).  On your local map identify and mark suitable
landing zones for a helicopter.  If you don't know how to determine
if a location is suitable, ask for help.

Plan to have a driver and/or horse person with truck and trailer
standing by at the staging area, who is capable of going to pick up
a horse that needs medical attention but can get on a trailer.

The above is for your information, not something you give to every
field team volunteer.

Are you writing task assignments?  Draft a safety message to give to
every field team along with their task assignment, and include in
the message who to call if they need help of any kind.  Keep in mind
that someone not familiar with the area and not on a paved road is
unlikely to be able to give a usable location to 911 dispatch.  Give
them a cell phone number to call.  Will you have a photocopier?  As
you complete a task assignment during the briefing of a field team,
photocopy the task assignment form and give the field team the copy.

At this point, do you need to delegate some of this preparatory work
to others?  If so, let us know here on MSAR-Riders;  some of us may
be able to drop everything to help gather information to support you.

        Una Smith
        New Mexico