Overview of SAR in Virginia
Nearly all search and rescue missions begin as a missing person report to local law enforcement. When local resources need help quickly, they call the Virginia Department of Emergency Management's State Search and Rescue Coordination Center at the Virginia Emergency Operations Center (VEOC). The center coordinates a statewide network of nearly two dozen professionally trained volunteer search and rescue (SAR) organizations that deploy highly skilled resources to conduct and support search and rescue operations.
The ability to save a life is often dependent upon how quickly the person can be found. Public safety authorities organize searches using all available resources appropriate to the situation and location. Such resources traditionally include foot searchers, air scent or tracking dogs, aircraft, etc. Depending on the location and time of alert, teams can be in route within two hours with horses or considerably less without horses.
Capabilities
SAR teams possess a wide range of skills and expertise including incident coordination and management, trained field teams and team leaders, trackers and track teams, search dog capability including man-trailing, air-scenting, and human remains detection, equine searchers, and air search capability. On average, in Virginia, SAR teams respond to over 200 emergency distress beacons from air or water craft and more than 80 missing person searches annually.
Search team members devote many hours of their time to training and practice to become proficient in their chosen discipline. Their dedication is driven by a desire to succeed, to overcome an adverse operational environment, to locate the missing, and ultimately, the hope of saving a life. Search and rescue personnel are among the most dedicated and enduring members you will find in the public safety community.
Members of Commonwealth Search and Rescue (CSAR)
In addition to all the capabilities listed above, the CSAR equine units offers search authorities an additional and unique resource: a team of trained searchers mounted on horseback. Our horses are partners in the search process and we rely on their sense of smell, vision and hearing to assist us in our searches.
CSAR's mounted teams provide rapid mobility; increased scope of operation; and an elevated vantage point. Our horses have been tested and certified by state standards to be safe and a qualified resource.
Recommended Gear for Your Equine
• Good quality saddle pad
• Saddle that fits the horse properly
• Hay, grain and water for 3 days
• Rope (20’ minimum)
• Halter & Lead rope (6 – 8’)
• Hoof pick
• First aid kit for horse
If you expect to carry saddle bags on searches for many hours, your horse will need a saddle that not only has something to tie the bags onto, but also has an integral skirt. The skirt prevents the bags from working underneath the saddle (where they can gall the horse in minutes). Most "western" or endurance-style saddles have good skirts. Try carrying smaller bags in front of the saddle, instead of in back. In front, the bags tend to bounce and shift around less, so it is less important how the weight of their contents is distributed.
Some MSAR groups use fanny packs or vests instead so that - should the rider become separated from the horse - they will still have supplies and equipment with them to survive.
A breastplate is a good idea, to help ensure the saddle stays where it belongs. In extremely rugged terrain you may need a crupper as well.
For overnight searches, camping gear and a picket line will be required. Overnight accommodations are not usually available – so we carry everything we may need with us.
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