Mounted search and rescue

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

Concerning grid (aka line) searching, Irv wrote:
>                                                             Using trained
>mounted personnel for this kind of detailed, thorough, search is a waste of
>resources.  Since the object is to have a line or grid searcher stumble over
>the subject almost any spontaneous volunteer can be taught to grid search
>under supervision in ten minutes or less.

I think that is why older MSAR training materials paid so much attention
to grid search methods.  So many MSAR teams basically were spontaneous
volunteers and had little or no training.  But that is true also of many
foot SAR teams in the past;  oldtimers often mention this.  And I have a
1972 book "Mountain Search and Rescue Techniques" that has very little on
the search part of SAR, and rather more about grid searching than any
other search method.

Where we might devote more training is in current theories behind grid
searching, and in training MSAR responders in directing large groups of
spontaneous volunteers on foot or horseback to perform grid searches.

Tomi has mentioned riding with mounted police or park/forest rangers on
ad hoc SAR field teams.  These are skilled, professional people who are
not necessarily very familiar with SAR.  Adding a trained MSAR person to
a field team made up of these non-SAR resources enables the field team
to work much more effectively as a SAR team.

It is time for all MSAR units to move beyond training MSAR responders to
be good spontaneous volunteers on horseback, toward training to be skilled
leaders of those resources, skilled trackers, skilled hasty searchers,
etc.

        Una Smith
        New Mexico