July 1995 TRAIL RIDERS OF TODAY SEARCH & RESCUE TEAM WHO WE ARE Trail Riders of Today (TROT) was established in 1980 to work with various state and local governments, park authorities, landowners and developers in an effort to preserve existing equestrian trails and to promote the establishment of new ones. By the end of 1992, membership stood at about 1,000 individuals or families, most in the state of Maryland, but some in the District of Columbia and neighboring states. Trail Riders of Today is a 501c(3) organization. In 1992, with the approval of the TROT Board of Directors, a group of TROT members volunteered to undergo the training necessary to form a mounted search and rescue team because they believe their trail-riding experience and the mobility provided by their horses can be valuable assets in certain types of search operations. The TROT Search and Rescue Team (or TROT SAR) is provided as a community service by Trail Riders of Today. MISSION STATEMENT The TROT Search and Rescue Team's primary mission is the establishment and deployment of a well-trained, fully equipped mounted search team capable of serving as a search resource for public authorities to assist in locating lost or missing persons in large outdoor areas in a timely and efficient manner without endangering the searchers or further hazarding the lost persons. RESPONSIBLE AUTHORITY The TROT Search and Rescue Team functions under the authority of the agency responsible for lost or missing person searches (e.g., state, county, city or park police or sheriff departments; Civil Air Patrol Missions Coordinator; federal, state, or local emergency services coordinators). The team will use and follow the responsible authority's incident command system. ALERTING TROT SAR can be alerted by pager and wireless e-mail. Please page 410-232-6438, or send a brief e-mail to 4102326438@archwireless.net. Requests must originate from a responsible authority, as defined above. The Team is available 24 hours, seven days a week. The Team can respond to searches occurring within an approximate 150-mile radius of central Maryland. SEARCH CRITERIA TROT Search and Rescue will respond to requests from responsible authorities for assistance in searches that are appropriate to our training and resources. The most appropriate use is in wilderness areas, large parks or other undeveloped areas. Trained searchers mounted on horses are able to cover such areas quicker and with less effort than foot searchers. In most cases, a mounted unit is less effective in an urban neighborhood situation -- although there could be circumstances involving stream valley parks that would be appropriate. The Team is willing to assist during natural disaster situations as long as the horse and rider can safely negotiate their way. We are not equipped to participate in water searches nor in terrain that cannot be safely negotiated by a horse (e.g., cliffs, boulders, bogs, swamps). Most mountains in this area have trails that are accessible. Only in certain circumstances can we safely search on horseback at night (along country roads or on wide trails and fire roads), and we will consider such requests on an ad hoc basis. Although we are usually able to ride in any type of weather, including snow, our ability to respond to a snow search will depend on whether road conditions permit safe trailering of horses and whether trail conditions are reasonably safe for riding (icy conditions, rather than simply snow, could be dangerous for horse and rider). The team members may respond as ground searchers without their horses during these conditions. We will search for lost or abducted victims, but do not wish to participate in searches for criminals or other dangerous persons. Riders and their horses are trained in executing such standard search procedures as: trail and road searching, trail identification, perimeter searches, field and open wooded grid searches, trail and road blocks, sign cutting, ridge running, drainage searches, clue detection and other confinement techniques. TROT SAR has neither the equipment nor the intent to replace any of the services provided by established rescue squads, fire departments or law enforcement agencies. TROT SAR mounted search teams and our base-support unit operate under the direction of the TROT SAR Team Search Manager (or designated back-up), who will coordinate with responsible search authorities. SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT Our most specialized pieces of "equipment" are our horses, which are selected, trained and conditioned to perform safely and efficiently in a search environment. All horses are privately owned and housed by team members. Team members provide transportation for themselves and the horses. The team's horses currently consist of various breeds, including Arabian, Thoroughbred, Half-Arabian, Quarter Horse, Morgan and Appaloosa. TROT SAR searchers are normally deployed in two-person teams. Each searcher carries a two-way radio and communicates with a base unit manned by the TROT SAR team search manager and the base-support team. Our radio equipment presently consists of ten Yaesu Vertex FTH-2009 programmable, 6 channel, tone squelch portable 5 watt radios, one Kenwood TK-240D programmable, 24 channel, tone squelch 5 watt portable radio and one Yaesu Vertex FTL-2011-12 programmable, 12 channel, tone squelch 40 watt mobile radio with scan option. We are licensed by the FCC for two frequencies: 155.160 and 155.235. All operational members are equipped with alpha-numeric pagers to facilitate alerting and other search-related communications. Each of the search riders carries on the trailer enough horse feed and hay for several days, as well as at least a day's supply of water. They also have in their vehicles food and water for themselves, extra clothing and sleeping accommodations. Each rider carries first-aid and basic survival equipment; one to two liters of water; food for twelve hours (can carry food for 24 hours if circumstances warrant); rain gear; flashlights and head lamps; compass, maps, paper and pen/pencil; surveyor's tape; and cutting tools. Each rider wears a safety helmet and a blaze orange vest. Each rider is equipped to search one or more days in most weather conditions. The team is equipped to camp indefinitely at a search base site. If necessary, riders can bivouac overnight on the trail. TROT SAR REQUIREMENTS At a search base site, TROT SAR will require parking space for up to eight horse trailers and tow vehicles (average is five). For camping at multi-day searches, preference would be a natural surface (firm enough to preclude getting vehicles mired) on which small portable pens or picket lines can be erected to allow the horses to rest while off duty. If necessary, horses can be tethered directly to the trailers. Search teams will arrive with several days' provisions for themselves and the horses. For extended searches over three days in duration, the team would appreciate support services such as additional water, food, and shelter. Given the extra time that may be needed to assemble provisions for the horses, load trailers, etc., TROT SAR response time will be enhanced by early call-out and/or being placed on standby. TRAINING TROT SAR members are required to go through a one-year training program before becoming operational. There are approximately 250 hours of training with 125 hours of classroom and 125 hours of field and practical training. The training includes the following: ( Incident Command and Search Management ( Personal and Emergency Wilderness Survival Skills ( Overview of SAR Ready Packs, Personal Outdoor Equipment, Clothing Considerations ( Review of "Good Samaritan" Law and State Statutes ( Travel/Hiking Skills for SAR ( Map and Compass Skills (Land Navigation, Orienteering Skills and Triangulation) ( Communications/Radio Procedures and Skills ( Understanding Uses and Capabilities of Various Search and Rescue Resources ( Understanding Psychological and Stress Problems in SAR ( Crime Scene Searching Skills and the Handling of Evidence ( Clue Consciousness ( Lost Person Behavior ( Search Probability Theory: Understanding & Use of POA x POD = POS ( Search Interviewing, Search Urgency and Documentation ( Understanding the Role of Responsible Authorities ( Search Strategies and Tactics -- Use of Resources -- Types of Search Techniques ( Search Operations and the Anatomy of A Search Incident ( Overview of Tracking Skills ( Uses and Overview of Helicopters ( How to Handle the Media ( Understanding the Legalities of Search & Rescue ( Overview of Rescue Functions & Evacuation ( Preventive SAR -- "Hug-A-Tree" ( American Heart Association CPR (annual certification) ( American Heart Association First Aid ( Use of Horses in Search & Rescue Horses have been trained to accept such things as vehicle traffic, helicopters, crowds, umbrellas, flashlights, bridges, dogs, bicycles, whistles, sirens and flashing lights, public-address systems or bullhorns, etc. Horses must be obedient and free of vices (no kicking, biting) Horses must readily stand tied for extended periods of time Horses must safely carry necessary equipment (loaded saddlebags, ropes, etc.) Horses must accept overnight confinement in the field (corral, picket line, tether) Horses are periodically tested for fitness TROT SAR has written Equestrian Field Team Leader Standards based on the Search and Rescue training standards for Virginia and Pennsylvania. All operational members meet the requirements for Field Team Leader (FTL). TROT SAR is a member of the Pennsylvania Search and Rescue Council. TEAM STRUCTURE The TROT Search and Rescue Team currently consists of ten Search Riders, two Base Supporters, and two Base\Incident Search Managers. The TROT Search and Rescue Team consists of the following membership categories: Base/Incident Manager -- The individual who has primary responsibility for direction of the team during any search incident and can function as a search manager. (Maximum of two individuals) Base Supporter -- An individual who can assist in base set-up, handle base communications, assist search riders and work with horses. (Maximum of four individuals) Search Rider -- An individual who functions as a mounted searcher. (Maximum of twelve individuals) There are three levels of training: Apprentice -- Accepted for membership; awaiting training. Can attend and observe operational field exercises. Trainee -- A member currently receiving formal search training (classroom and/or field exercises). Operational -- A member who has completed formal search training and has achieved operational call-out status. Such status is achieved only after a minimum of one year of training and evaluation of horse and rider by current operational members. A member must also completed paperwork, training and receive approval from Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency. The Apprentice and Trainee membership shall not exceed 50 percent of the current operational membership. All members and prospective members of TROT Search and Rescue must be members in good standing of Trail Riders of Today. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION For additional information about the TROT Search and Rescue team, contact Suzanne Anderson: (301) 829-3881 (phone) (410) 232-6438 (pager) TROT SAR Rider Requirements Experienced Trail Rider: Candidates for the TROT Search and Rescue Team must be TROT members who are experienced trail riders at least 21 years of age. Because the TROT SAR team is trained for searches in wilderness or other large undeveloped areas, we need individuals who are comfortable in that type of environment. Some relevant questions: Are you an experienced trail rider? Even if you are a skilled rider, if your riding is mostly in a ring or other controlled environment, you will need to spend more time trail riding before undertaking to train for search and rescue work. Are you accustomed to riding for long periods of time? Are you physically fit to do so? Although the search pace is generally slow, you may need to stay out all day in any kind of weather. Are you accustomed to riding in rough terrain? Do you have confidence in your horse's being able to safely negotiate his way up, down, over or around obstacles and being able to "bushwhack" if you need to leave the trail? Are you accustomed to riding alone? Although we normally send searchers out in pairs, that may not always be possible. Are you willing to ride unfamiliar trails? Time: You may expect to be in training for at least one year before becoming operational. Total hours of training are between 250 and 300 hours. During that time, training sessions usually will be held twice a month. For "classroom" sessions, we will try to schedule evenings during the week days. However, field training is usually on a Saturday, and during the spring, summer and fall seasons there will be at least one camp-over and two-day training exercise during a weekend once a month. The operational team is available on a 24-hour, 7-days-per-week basis. Obviously, there may be instances when a particular team member is not able to respond. However, team members need to consider whether their work and family responsibilities are generally flexible enough for them to be able to respond most of the time. Equipment: You need to own your own horse, trailer and tow vehicle (or have a permanent, reliable source for same). At the outset of your training, you will need to acquire some basic tools and equipment. These include a textbook, compass, navigation handbook, etc. The specifics will be explained at the first training session. In addition, all team members are required to wear an approved helmet while mounted. As you continue in your training, you will be acquiring additional equipment. Team members are largely responsible for purchasing their own supplies and equipment. For example, if you don't have saddlebags, you will no doubt need to obtain them. The same is true of cold-weather clothing, rain gear, etc. Eventually, you will need to equip yourself and your horse to camp out overnight. Fortunately, most equipment can be acquired over a period of months, which helps minimize the financial impact. TROT SAR Horse Requirements To be acceptable for search and rescue work, your horse must have a quiet, cooperative disposition, free of vices, and generally fit to ride all day. Specifically: Absolutely no kicking, biting, or other dangerous behavior. In a search situation -- and in some training exercises -- we will be working with the public and other search groups, and we cannot tolerate a horse that is likely to endanger others. Even in our own training exercises, we need for all team horses to be able to work closely with one another. Your horse needs to be steady and reliable. In a search situation, you will need to be devoting your attention to the trail and surrounding area in order to be able to locate a clue to the victim's whereabouts -- and all the while navigating with map and compass, handling radio transmissions, etc. In short, you will be very busy doing your job, and you need a cooperative horse that requires minimal direction from you. If you have a hyper horse that requires your full time and attention, he may be great for some other activity, but you cannot be an effective searcher on such a horse. Your horse needs to tie safely for an indefinite period. In a search situation, you may need to dismount and leave him while you search on foot or assist the victim. There could be instances in which you would need to tie him overnight while camped. Consider your horse's reaction to stressful situations. Does he blow up and "lose it"? Or does he simply snort and blow a while and eventually accept what you ask him to? You will need to prepare your horse for coping with the search environment (e.g., flashlights in the dark, umbrellas, bridges, dogs, bicycles, whistles, helicopters, flashing lights and sirens, road flares, motorcycles, etc.). Some of these things you can do on your own; other things we will be doing as a group. At this point, you need only consider whether your horse would be amenable to such training. Are you willing to keep your horse in reasonably fit condition? While searching tends to be slow work (seldom faster than a walk), you may be out all day and maybe for more than a day. You may also be out in extreme weather conditions. A fit horse is better able to tolerate adverse conditions for long periods. Does he trailer willingly and safely? Response time is of the essence to an operational search team member, and you will not be able to waste time loading. If you have loading problems, plan now to get help in resolving them. USING HORSES IN SEARCH AND RESCUE by Coleman P. Brown III and Anne O. Bennof Trail Riders of Today (TROT) Search and Rescue Team 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. Some may be concerned about horses destroying clues but, in fact, properly trained mounted searchers can be used successfully as clue finders. Unless speed is requested, most horseback searching is done at a walk. Clues as small as cigarette butts and gum wrappers, as well as clothing articles and tracks, can be seen from horseback if the rider is trained in clue detection and protection. All searchers -- on horseback or otherwise -- need to be especially alert to tracks and exercise special caution when approaching an area of soft ground where there might be a high probability of finding an identifiable track. Upon discovering a track or clue in a fragile area, a good search rider might opt to tether the horse a short distance away and then proceed to communicate to base the location and description, according to routine search procedure. Properly equipped mounted searchers can be deployed in most weather conditions. In fact, they may be used in some conditions -- e.g., fog, heavy rain, high winds -- that preclude the use of other resources or lessen their effectiveness. In most cases, they can search in snow -- assuming that area roads are clear enough to permit safe trailering of horses to the site. It could be dangerous for a horse and rider to search in icy conditions, and the search manager should rely on the rider's assessment of the situation. Horses can be used to search at night. Riders may be concerned about bushwhacking or riding on ill-defined, steep trails in the dark, but may be able to safely cover broader trails or fire roads, open fields, or dirt roads and country lanes. The principal concern, of course, is that the horse might step into old wire fencing, a hole or other unseen hazards in the dark. Trained mounted searchers will have practiced in the dark with helmet lights and will be able to advise the search manager of their assessment of the particular search environment. If it is decided not to deploy mounted searchers at night, riders and horses can camp and sleep so that they will be available at first light. Searchers on horseback can work cooperatively with other resources in a search environment and can, in fact, complement their efforts. A few examples of many kinds of cooperative efforts: (a) A mounted searcher discovers a track or a resting site; a human or canine tracker proceeds from that point. (b) A helicopter spots a possible clue or victim; a mounted searcher in the general area can reach the site quickly and investigate the find. (c) A mounted searcher quickly ascending a mountain trail locates but cannot reach a victim stranded on a steep precipice; a mountain rescue team is directed to the site. A skilled search manager will see many other ways to incorporate the unique characteristics of the mounted searcher into the overall search plan. The presence of the horses should have no adverse affect on other search resources. While some search dogs may initially become excited if they are not accustomed to horses, they usually settle down and learn to ignore them just as they have learned to ignore deer, rabbits and other animals encountered on a search. Management Considerations You need to know your resource. If you are fortunate enough to have a trained mounted search team in your area, get to know the team leader, their call-out procedures, training (searcher and horse), equipment, capabilities, etc. By all means, include them in your pre-planning. You would not want to call upon the horse team in all circumstances (obvious exclusions being collapsed building searches, water searches, caves, precipices, swamps, etc.). In most cases, horses would not be particularly useful in urban neighborhood searches. However, for most searches in wilderness or other large land areas, the mounted search team should be included in the pre-plan. One additional word about pre-planning: The response time for all volunteer searchers varies depending on the time of day (whether the searcher is at home, at work, traveling), distance to search site, etc. In the case of a mounted unit, a couple of additional factors affect response time. For example, for an employed searcher, there is no possibility of responding directly from the workplace; one must return home to get the horse! Additionally, some horse owners do not maintain their horse on their own property; the horse is boarded elsewhere. Therefore, there may be travel needed to reach the horse. There is some additional time needed to hitch up the trailer, load feed and water, load the horse, etc. This is not to say that you will never get a quick response from a mounted searcher. On the contrary, since many horse owners live in rural areas, you may have a searcher just a few minutes away from the search site. The point to keep in mind is this: If you believe there is any possibility that you will need the mounted team, send them at least a "stand by" notice while you gather additional information. Even 10 or 15 extra minutes can be put to good use and allow them to be ready to roll more promptly if a call-out follows. What To Expect of a Mounted Search Team ( There should be an organization, with defined leadership, a base support structure, and specific call-out procedures. ( They should have radios and be trained in communications procedures. ( They should be largely self-sufficient, arriving with several days' supplies for riders and horses, and be equipped to camp overnight. ( They should be equipped with first aid and survival gear and be able to carry it on the horses while searching. ( While riders need not be expected to be proficient in specialized search techniques (rappeling, scuba, expert tracking, etc.), they should have completed training in such subjects as search theory and techniques, navigation, clue awareness, basic tracking, search probabilities, etc., in common with other searchers. ( The horses should be calm and cooperative and should be trained to accept the sights and sounds of the search environment, including helicopters, search dogs, sirens and flashing lights, etc. ( Riders should be appropriately dressed for weather conditions and safety. What the Mounted Search Teams Needs from Management ( As mentioned above, as much advance notice of call-up as possible. ( Space on firm ground to park trailers. If camping, riders will prefer to erect small portable corrals or put up picket lines (ropes strung between trees to which horses are tied). If necessary, horses can be tethered directly to the trailers overnight. ( For extended searches, the team may need access to water, shelter and food re-supply. Other Mounted Volunteers (trail riding clubs, ranchers or outfitters, individual rider volunteers) There may be occasions when local horseback riders will volunteer to help on a search even though they have no formal search training. As with other untrained volunteers, there are pros and cons to their use on a search. First the cons: Their skills are usually unknown. They probably will not have a radio or compass and may not be equipped to carry food, water or survival gear. They may not be adequately dressed. Without clue awareness/protection training, they -- like other untrained volunteers -- might disturb evidence. The horse may be less reliable than one that has been trained as part of an organized search team. But there are pros, too: Local trail riders usually know the trails (mapped and unmapped), terrain, hazards, common "wrong turns" taken by themselves or others in the past, etc. They may be able to add this vital information to the search map. Ideally, a local rider with knowledge of the area can be paired with a trained mounted searcher to act as guide. This will relieve the searcher of some of the navigational responsibility and allow more attention to be paid to actual searching and clue detection/protection. Obviously, if you have a very large area to be covered quickly, you may be using untrained ground volunteers anyway, so you might want to consider local volunteer riders for hasty trail searches, running perimeters, etc., in the absence of trained mounted searchers.