Mounted search and rescue

["T'mi Finkle" <tfinkle@erols.com>]

GSAR: Ground Search and Rescue (searching on foot); certifications as the 
NASAR SARTECH II or equivalent SAR testing, such as the
Virginia Field Team Member program.

Working SAR dogs from horseback is not conducive here on the east coast due 
to the terrain and I personally do not know of any
testing/training standards to work SAR K9's from horseback.  I could see 
where working a SAR dog from horseback could be productive
in the Great Plains region.  

T'mi


-----Original Message-----
From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org 
[mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of
sleininger@myfrontiermail.com
Sent: Saturday, December 24, 2011 10:23 AM
To: Mounted search and rescue
Subject: Re: [MSAR] TROTSAR on the news

T'mi

What is GSAR?  I have two horses that I have been working with to work with 
my k9 while she is doing area search.  She also does
trailing and cadaver, but I have never been on horseback while she is doing 
those.  But I have not run across the term GSAR.

Sherrel


----- Original Message -----
From: "T'mi Finkle" <tfinkle@erols.com>
To: "Mounted search and rescue" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Friday, December 23, 2011 9:37:02 PM
Subject: Re: [MSAR] TROTSAR on the news





You’re welcome Bob, 

  

    • We deployed them with our certified mounted responders once; our team 
will never do this again. Our Lessons Learned Review
revealed that untrained persons on horseback during a SAR mission are a 
safety risk to our members and are a liability issue.  The
remainder of folks with horses were  told to leave the area. 



  

    • We conduct a multi team night search once each year; our mounted team 
members love the learning experience. 



  

    • All of our .Mounted Responders are certified as GSAR first before they 
can deploy as mounted.  Primary we provide mounted
resources, however, we will augment ground resource in some situations, but 
the care of the equines come first. 



  




From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org 
[mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Bob Foster 
Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2011 7:37 PM 
To: Mounted search and rescue 
Subject: Re: [MSAR] TROTSAR on the news 

  


I really appreciate your advice and help.  Thanks. 


How did you handle the volunteer riders? 


And what type of night training does your team do to prepare for the night 
search? 


Doe your team also work as ground support/searchers as well? 


On Wed, Nov 30, 2011 at 4:01 AM, T'mi Finkle < tfinkle@erols.com > wrote: 



Hi Bob, 

This is a brief overview about one of our most complex search and rescue 
(SAR) missions our team has had in recent years. 

Via a response request from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management ( 
VDEM Mission VA-070-11) , the TROTSAR Mounted Search
and Rescue Team was dispatched to help find a missing eight year old autistic 
child on Tuesday October 25 th . The first TROTSAR
Member arrived on the scene at 1745 hours on Tuesday October 25 th , at the 
Incident Command Post (ICP) in Doswell Virginia  A MSAR
base camp was established at 1200 hours on Wednesday at the Virginia State 
Fair Grounds, Meadow Event Park Stables (stalls 1 through
8, at no cost to our team members).  A total of 12 mounted searchers 
responded to this mission and two dispatchers provided around
the clock support. Since 12 hour deployment periods were implemented no pack 
animals were used, but NASAR type SAR packs were
carried by mounted SAR responders. 

A variety of TROTSAR members remained on the scene throughout the entire 
mission, providing around the clock coverage until 1500
hours on Friday October 28 th . Total of 359 volunteer hours were committed 
for this mission and 26 search tasks and assignments
were performed by TROTSAR responders.  Assignments included; mounted tasks, 
ground SAR tasks, provided task briefings to emergent
volunteers and planning section duties at the ICP. This mission had a happy 
ending with the missing subject “Robbie Woods” being
found alive on Friday afternoon, just a couple of hours before a winter storm 
was to impact the region. 

  

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

  

Overview about Mounted search and Rescue (MSAR) teams: 

  

A wise search manager will not overlook the use of searchers mounted on 
horseback as a resource.  This is particularly true if there
are wilderness areas in the vicinity.  But even relatively urban areas can 
have large parks or nearby farmland that can become
search sites, and mounted searchers can be deployed there very effectively. 

  

At the outset, we need to make the distinction between trained searchers on 
horseback and a local horseback rider who volunteers to
help on a particular search.  While we will discuss the latter later on, our 
primary focus will be on the former:  A fully equipped
team of trained searchers mounted on horses that have been specially selected 
and trained for search work. 

  

  

Advantages 

  

The horses themselves are valuable as searchers.  Like dogs, horses have 
highly developed senses of hearing and smell, and they have
even better eyesight than dogs.  These special skills can be put to good use 
in a search situation, even though the roles of dogs
and horses differ greatly.  A search dog's training is based upon his 
forebear's instinctive skills as a searcher of prey; as a prey
animal, the horse has survived over the centuries by its ability to detect a 
predator and escape before being eaten.  Therefore,
while a horse cannot be expected to consciously search in the same way that a 
trained air scent or tracking dog does, he is
instinctively very aware of his surroundings at all times and will alert on 
anything out of the ordinary, especially the presence of
another animal -- or a person! -- and he will usually detect such a presence 
well in advance of the rider.  So, a good search rider
will investigate anything that attracts the horse's attention. 

  

A mounted searcher is able to carry on the horse food, water, first aid and 
survival equipment.  The rider's energy will not be
exhausted as quickly as a ground searcher carrying such equipment in a 
backpack.  This advantage is especially important in rough or
mountainous terrain or in extreme weather conditions since the rider may be 
able to search more effectively for a longer period. 

  

  

Applications In Search Operations 

  

The ability of the horse and rider to cover large areas quickly can be used 
to advantage as part of a hasty team.  For example,
mounted searchers could do a perimeter sweep, cover known trails, ridges and 
drainages, locate unmapped trails, set up trail and
road blocks, check track traps (or if the ground is hard or dry, create traps 
on major trails and area access points), etc.  The key
thing is to make good use of this highly mobile resource. 

                                           

But searching on horseback is not necessarily limited to confinement 
techniques.  Mounted searchers can engage in slow, methodical
searching, as well.  While horses are usually used to cover trails, mounted 
searchers can bushwhack to cover assigned search areas
unless extreme terrain conditions make it unsafe to leave the trail.  They 
can even be used as grid searchers in fields and open
woods.  For example, they may well be deployed to cover large open areas as 
an alternative to aircraft or dogs.  Particularly in the
case of brush or tall grass, a team of three or four mounted searchers can 
perform multiple sweeps quicker than ground searchers --
and more effectively, because of their elevated perspective. 

  

  

Ms. Tomi` Finkle, CEM, SARTECH II, KB3MKI 
Chief 
TROTSAR Mounted Team 
www.trotsar.org 
1-888-MSAR911 (for 24/7 Emergency Dispatch only) 
301-412-5249 (cell) 

  

Mission Statement: TROTSAR is a non-profit, incorporated all volunteer based, 
mounted search and rescue squad. The Team's primary
purpose is to assist federal, tribal, state and local government agencies by 
providing certified search & rescue personnel mounted
on horseback, for lifesaving missions of people who are missing, lost, 
stranded and/or the rescuing of victims in wilderness, rural,
suburban or Wide Area Search missions within the Mid-Atlantic region. 

  

  




From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto: 
msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org ] On Behalf Of Bob Foster 
Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 10:50 PM 



To: Mounted search and rescue 


Subject: Re: [MSAR] TROTSAR on the news 

  


I am a member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department MSAR team.  
First did you find the child? 




  


I am in charge of training for our unit.  I am always looking for an 
opportunity to simulate the facts and circumstances of real
MSAR events as well as incorporating new training ideas. 


  


Could you send me so info that I could possibly use for training? 


  


What were the circumstances on this search and rescue and what signs/tracks 
were found by MSAR? 


  


How was your MSAR beneficial in this operation? 


  


When you are out on 12/12 shifts, what do you do as far as food is concerned 
and do you sleep in your trailers or some other
shelter?  for you and your horse. 


  


Do you use a pack animal? 


  


What would you say are the mandatory items to carry?  For you as a rider and 
then for you to give first aid?  


  


I discourage the use of chest lamps for the horse, I think it ruins nigh 
vision, but I have some team members that swear by the
light.  What is  your opinion? 


  


Thanks for any help.  We are relatively untested in any operation that has 
gone more than 12 hours so your opinion is greatly
appreciated. 


  


Deputy Bob Foster 


Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department 


Mounted Enforcement Detail/Training 


Cell Phone: 661.309.7399 


Work Email: rkfoster@lasd.org 


  


Personal email: bfostermed@gmail.com 


On Thu, Oct 27, 2011 at 4:24 PM, T'mi Finkle < tfinkle@erols.com > wrote: 



Two of my team members were interviewed by NBC 12, 
http://www.nbc12.com/story/15884231/ha 

  

TROTSAR Mounted Team has been onsite since Tuesday working two 12 hours 
shifts daily 

  

T’mi 

  


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