Madison County
Search & Rescue
Planning Manual
and Mission Plan
1
Tables of contents
 Elements of a Long Range
Plan
 Management & Incident
Command System (ICS)
 Communications
 Medical
 Man tracking & Ground
pounders
 Horse
 4 wheeler or All Terrain
Vehicles (ATV’s)
 Snow Machine
 Avalanche
 Water Rescue & Recovery
 Page 4-14
 Page 17
 Pages 18-32
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Elements of the Long-Range Plan
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External Trends:
Mission:
Vision:
Value:
Measurements & Goals:
Financial:
Operational:
Major Strategies:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Major Action Plans:
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External Trends
 Answers the question,”
What might we expect
to be deployed on.
 Are we capable?
 Where should we
emphasize our
training, and where do
we gather our
expertise?”
4
Mission Statement:
 Answers the question,
“What do we do?”
This defines who we
serve, and how. It also
describes why we
exist, and should
include some of how
we function.
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Mission Statement:
 The Madison County Search & Rescue, Madison Unit, is
committed to provide trained emergency response to any
person lost, stranded, or injured in any environment hostile
to themselves or their loved ones in our area.
 Our objective is to promote education in wilderness
applications to those of all genders and ages. If necessary
to provide trained and competent volunteers, under the
authority of the local Sheriff’s department, to assist in man
tracking, water rescue, snowmobile, ATV, horse, K-9,
avalanche, and medical support, to find and recover the
lost souls from, and or visiting our community.
 We are a nonprofit organization striving to provide the
most professional service which will not impact the
economy in which we live.
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Vision:
 Defines; “ What we
hope to be in the
future?” Our objectives
and reasonable
expectations of where
we are going and how
to get there.
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Vision Statement
 Madison County Search & Rescue is
committed to training and deploying the very
best people for our operations. Establishing
itself as the “Right Choice“, agencies will
call, providing the most dedicated teams
available throughout Southwest Montana.
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Value:
 “How do others in our
community see us.
 Will they support us in
what we are doing?
 Are we progressing
with all of the values
others and ourselves
place on us?”
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Measurements & Goals:
 Answer the Question;
“ How do we measure
our results?”
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Financial:
 Scope of financial
health based on all the
elements of the long
range goals, and how
are we to meet those
goals.
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Operational:
 Scope developed by
the administrative
team, and explains in
detail the scope of the
operation for each
specific team and team
leader.
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Major Strategies:
 “How will we achieve our
mission / vision?”
 Should a strategy for each
of the major areas of the
organization be in place?
 Should the individual team
leaders help in the
development of these
strategies?
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Strengths
 What are our
strengths, and how do
we develop a means to
better the team on
what we already have.
 What can we build on,
or learn from, to add
additional depth?
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Weaknesses:
 We should list specific
weaknesses based on
the above outline, and
work on 3 or 4 of them,
then move them to our
strengths column.
 Continually update this
list and move as
assets and the
evaluation of our
weaknesses change.
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Major Action Plans:
 “What specific actions
will we undertake to
achieve our plan?”
 How and when do we
start action plans?
 What areas or teams?
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Management & Incident Command System
(ICS)
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Horse Applications
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Horse Table of Contents
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External Trends:
Mission:
Mission objective
Vision:
Value:
Measurements & Goals:
Financial:
Operational:
Major Strategies:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Major Action Plans:
Action Plan
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Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
Page 28
Page 29
Page 30
Page 31
Page 32
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External Trends:
• Cover ground faster than one on foot
• Applications on Hasty teams
• Observation points of natural boundaries, and
high points
• Different applications than ATV’s
• Higher vantage point than either ATV rider, or
man tracker
• Pack in tools: Repeater, food, supplies for
evacuation
• Extract victim if able to ride
• Stay in for longer durations than ground units,
without covering the same ground
• Possible training of air scenting horses
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Mission Statement:
• The horse response team seeks to provide
manpower, horsepower, equipment and
training to find and recover those lost or
injured in our county. To work with all other
departments and teams in obtaining the
objective set by the Operations Leader
(OL), in the most professional and
competent method possible.
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Mission Objective
• Training horses and personnel to be
implemented into a Search or Rescue.
• The range of activities to include, or expedite the
finding, supporting and recovering of a lost soul.
• Understanding, without exceeding, the limits of
either ourselves, our animals or our equipment.
• Making a contribution which saves lives, and
limits the risk of our team mates, and a positive
reflection of the team as a hole.
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Vision:
• Training horses and personnel to be
implemented into a Search or Rescue.
• The ability of the horse and rider to work
together, adding to the resources of the team.
• Covering ground faster, with more gear
necessary to aid in the recovery of the lost or
injured.
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Value:
• Using this tool to increase our effectiveness in the field.
• Increase speed; hasty team, beat a storm or exposure
time of victim.
• Ability to carry a repeater to improve communications.
• Assist victim out when found, further reducing stress,
injury, time.
• Ability of K-9 handlers to either deploy dogs closer to
search area, or keep up with dogs in extended search
areas.
• Re-supply members in the field with provisions needed
from base camp.
• Different perspective and field of vision.
• Possible use of animals senses in locating victim.
• Searching areas closed to motorized vehicles.
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Measurements & Goals:
• As stated in the mission statement for the
horses. Train, test, and evaluate horse, rider and
equipment to provide the services outlined in the
mission objective.
• Set training parameters and performance
evaluations based off training procedures and
participation. Note, and document progress from
last training to judge progress.
• Rider following “job description” as outlined, and
review progress to the understanding, and
implementing of procedures.
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Financial:
• No financial draw on team from horse team, with
one exception. Pack saddle design needs to
accommodate repeater size and weight
requirements.
• Possibility of scale to balance load prior to
transportation of repeater.
• Hay if weather, or extended search occurs
where grazing is either limited, or restricted.
• Water, or the transportation of water if the above
is impacting a search.
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Operational:
• Site planning and security.
• Pre check at the place of deployment will accommodate
number and types of vehicles and load up requirements.
• Terrain and ground conditions explained and discussed.
• Wildlife impact on search and safety of personnel
involved.
• Feed and water conditions for extended search.
• Proximity of other search teams with different types of
applications.
• Way points and areas of search patterns or techniques.
• Communications and restrictions due to terrain.
• Projected weathers impact on trails and search patterns.
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Major Strategies:
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Training and procedures manual.
Training mission attendance.
Fitness checks.
Equipment checks.
Mentoring or partnering of horses and riders.
Visual recognition in the field
Communications, first aid, map and compass
cross training requirements.
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Strengths:
• 4 members at this point who have worked
together, with each others animals that meet
Measurements & Goals as outlined.
• Members with multiple horses who have stock
horses that can be loaded for additional
equipment and supplies.
• Horses are in ready shape to be deployed at a
moments notice.
• Team members would be willing to create
training manual and procedures that are in line
with the teams vision.
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Weaknesses:
• 2 members have multiple talents and may
be needed in other areas of a search
parameter.
• All members need medical and man
tracking training as outlined in the major
strategies part of this outline.
• Need to increase depth of resources,
(personnel) to increase effectiveness and
ability of team.
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Major Action Plans:
• Purpose: To help team members to draft a plan
of action towards accomplishing their goals. A
format to make future collation and editing
simpler.
• Usage: To display for all to see, and identify
each goal at hand.
• Suggestion: Hand out copies so individuals may
change it while an idea is fresh in their mind.
Then edit it at the next meeting.
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Template of Action Plan
Goal:
Segment of
Activity
What will be
done?
Evidence of
progress
Responsibilities
Resources
Who will do it?
How will it be
done?
Timeline
When will it be
done?
How will you know you are making
progress?
Evaluation
Process
How will you tell when your goal has
been reached?
Relation to
project
concept
How does your strategy fit in to the
overall mission statement?
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Horse Team Standards
Test
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Date: ___/___/___
Team member: _________________
Qualifying Horse:____________, ___________
Pack Horse: ___________, _____________
Gender: (For the above listed);___,___/___,___
Location:___________________________
Terrain: ____________________________
Elevation Change: ___________________________
Weather: __________________________________
Day / Night: _____,
Miles Ridden:____________
Start Time:___________ Finish Time:___________
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Horse Team Standards Day /
Night Evaluation: pre trip
Pass
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Truck and trailer meet safety standards.
Load and unload horse without help.
Tacking horse (s), as needed.
Horse works well with other members.
Horse will lead, on and off horse back.
Rider can prove physical ability to ride.
Rider checks horse for physical condition.
Equipment check prior to departure.
Loads well balanced, tied down equip.
Has meet equipment requirements.
Rider meets cross training requirements.
Horse is calm while tied to trailer.
Fail
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Horse Team Standards Day /
Night Evaluation: Trail
Pass
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Turn left, then right, stop, start, back up.
Cross streams, rivers
Cross bogs, and remain in control.
Negotiate down fall, while off the trail.
Put on rain gear or coat while riding.
Walk single file, and double on a trail.
Demonstrate map and compass or GPS.
Allow another to lead your horse.
Separate your horse from the group.
Mount is in control with trail obstacles.
Secure horse, as if engaged on ground.
Horse must remain calm during absence.
Fail
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Ruby Valley Certification
Standard standards for
Mounted SAR
• Basic Field Test: __/__/__
training officer____________
• Advanced Field Test: __/__/__ training officer____________
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Cross Training Test (s): __/__/__ training officer____________
_____________ date __/__/__ training officer____________
_____________ date __/__/__ training officer____________
_____________ date __/__/__ training officer____________
• Team leader Test: __/__/__ training officer____________
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Ruby Valley Mounted SAR Team
Certification and Standards
I
Introduction
A. To be the standard for the community, County,
State for mounted SAR. To develop, and improve
the standards for mounted search teams used in
all incidents that apply.
B. This proposed standard is intended to be the
minimum requirements necessary of our team.
This must be reviewed and updated on a regular
basis.
C. This certification issued under this standard is
the requirement for those horse and rider teams
that with to participate in SAR incidents managed
by the Madison Co. Sheriffs Department.
D. Testing of a team member for certification will
be done within the unit of which the rider is a
member, utilizing the procedures set forth herein. 37
I
E. These standards apply only to wilderness
searches. Any other applications are not yet covered
in this document. Any other needs should be looked
at and added as the foreseeable need arises.
II
Certification
A. Certification shall be for any horses of any gender,
and meet all of the requirements set forth. This
should include mules, and pack animals such as
Lama’s, Jacks etc.
B. This certification shall be under the control of the
training officer, and the team leader of this unit.
C. I suggest that a certification period of 3-5 years be
set forth, and must be renewed after that time. Any
animals used must be certified with their rider.
D. Limit certification to those people who will make
all efforts to cross train in all areas of SAR. This unit
has specific applications, and therefore it’s members
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will be encouraged to contribute in other areas of the
team.
II
Certification
E. To apply for certification, one must do the
following:
1. Request in writing to apply for the mounted
team, and be approved by either the team leader,
training officer, or both.
2. Be requested by either the team leader, and
approved by the training officer.
F. Suspension of Certification
a. If any member, due to the loss of their mount,
or the inability to train and perform on missions, for a
period of 6 months, will be placed on an inactive list
for this area of the team. This does not affect their
rights on the search team, just the mounted SAR.
b. The training officer, or executive committee
may suspend certification when one or more of the
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following deficiencies, either impedes, or reflects on
the overall team in general.
F. Suspension of Certification
1. When a report of a team’s deficiency is brought
to the executive committee's attention. The rider in
question will be questioned with the team leader as to
the nature of the complaint. Only after this time will
action be taken.
2. The rider in question has the right to challenge
any report of deficiency and to know, and confront
the person or persons making the report. If a dispute
persists, then a written record of the events will be
taken.
3. A Committee may take the following course of
action upon the challenge of a team’s competence.
a. The committee may confirm the team’s
continued certification.
b. The committee may require the team in
question complete a re-certification at that time. 40
F. Suspension of Certification
4. On all occasions, the team leader and training
officer, may wish to include the executive committee
in reviewing procedures and training standards. At
that time, in writing, submit a review to clear the rider,
or a change to be implemented by the mounted team.
2. Revocation
The serious misconduct or gross negligence on
behalf of the team or it’s leader. This action which
reflects in a negative manner for the S.O., Team, and
Community, or endangers the operation and
credibility of the SAR team and it’s members.
III
Recertification
A. Members must recertify every 3 years, or as their
mounts or pack animals change.
B. Members and their animals must pass the most
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current standards test.
IV
Documentation and Re-Certification
A. The applicant must have first joined Madison
County SAR, and be accepted, prior to their
application for the mounted team.
1. Documented that the horse has
demonstrated the ability to be well mannered and
non-aggressive to others. I.e., people, horses, dogs
etc.
2. Proof that the team has passed both parts of
the tests listed below.
B. The applicant must show / pass the following:
1. Proof of training in the following areas;
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IV
Documentation and Re-Certification
a. Successful continuing training, though, either
in house, or external courses agreed upon by either
the team leader, training officer, or both.
b. Successful completion of courses in
equestrian SAR related subjects, which includes all
exercises that encompass the requirements of the
written and practical expectations outlined in this
standards outline.
c. Active participation in the activities outlined
by this specialty, and those of the Unit as a whole.
Including business meetings, trainings; be it horse
related, or general trainings.
d. A mounted team which does not recertify, or
meet the above listed requirements, must reapply,
and meet all of the basic certification process.
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