photo courtesy of Sarah Nowacki

ASTM International’s Commitee F32 on Search and Rescue has initiated a new activity on mounted search and rescue (search and rescue done on horseback). Mounted searchers have historically been a core resource in search and rescue and continue to be an important aspect of SAR. However, there is currently no existing organization with nationwide or international scope that offers standards or certification regarding mounted SAR.

Jorene Downs, CEOates Ranch, says the goal of the MSAR task group is “to create mounted SAR standards through ASTM that will be suitable for international application. ASTM offers a common source for all to create consistency in expectations for mounted SAR.” Downs was asked to chair this task group by the National Association for Search and Rescue, which then voted to have its standards developed through ASTM International Committee F32. The task group is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee F32.02 on Management and Operations.

Downs says the content of the work the task group has done so far reflects the research of existing local and state mounted SAR standards to determine common ground, and to include input from various experienced sources. Once the task group has created a core MSAR standard, Downs says that standard will become a prerequisite for future specialty MSAR standards. Possible topics for such standards include urban and wilderness MSAR, packing, and others. “Since mounted SAR is also a viable resource for disaster response, I’d like to see specialty standards that address that capability as well,” says Downs. //

Contact:
Technical Information:
Jorene Downs, CEOates Ranch, Exeter, Calif.
Phone: 559/592-1482
ASTM staff:
Kevin Shanahan
Phone: 610/832-9737;
Upcoming Meeting:
May 25-28, in conjunction with a NASAR meeting, Oakland, Calif.