Who We Are . . .

PRESS RELEASE The Warren County Mounted Search Team

The Warren County Mounted Search Team is a volunteer emergency services organization, associated with the Warren County Chapter of the Ohio Horseman's Council Inc. (OHC), and an affiliate of the Warren County Department of Emergency Services (DES). We can be called out by he DES for official searches for missing persons, articles and evidence. The purpose of the Warren County Mounted Search Team (WCMST) is to provide a reliable, functional, trained mounted search team to assist officials of Warren County and other counties in an organized legitimate search. The Team consists of ground support and mounted riders. Each member maintains CPR, AED, First Aid, map, compass and GPS use, radio comunications, evidence protection, search procedures, incident management and formation riding (formation riding training is not required for ground support). All WCMST members participate in a search simulation at least annually. Simulated searches and other training seminars and guest speakers are scheduled periodically. All members are given our Policy and Procedures Manual, and are expected to attend quarterly business meetings on the fourth Wednesday of January, April, July and October, plus trainings as scheduled. Riders are provided with a white equestrian safety helmet and an orange vest for visibility, and must maintain personal safety equipment and supplies carried in a saddle bag.

It all began in the summer of 1990 when a 13 year old boy went missing. The boy's two cousins and their friend helped search for him on horseback after he'd been missing for three days. With his tragic death, the idea of an organized mounted search team was born. After listening to this heart-breaking story at the meeting of the Warren County Chapter of the Ohio Horseman's Council (OHC). One of the OHC members contacted the Warren County Sheriff's Dept., and spoke with Deputy Col. Dunn, who said that there had been a mounted sheriff's posse at one time, but it had been discontinued due to lack of county funds. He agreed there was a need for a mounted search team in the area, and that, with appropriate training, a team of volunteers using their own horses and equipment coud be useful. The Warren County OHC decided to sponsor the team. The president of the Warren County OHC wrote an open letter to area horsemen, asking for volunteers for a mounted search team in Warren County. There was a large response. The first meeting was held in conjunction with the regular monthly business meeting of the Warren County OHC on January 10, 1991. The new OHC Mounted Search Committee met the following June to plan the first training session. That training occurred August 16, 17 & 18, 1991 at Caesar Creek Horseman's Campground, and was conducted by Deputy George Rogers and other members of the Medina County Sheriff's Mounted Unit. They presented classroom and field instruction on search techniques and equipment. During the search simulation training, participants were heard talking on their ham radios by the Warren County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES) radio officer. He suggested that Frank Young, director of Warren County Communications, would be interested in knowing about the search team. Members of the search team met with the Warren County Emergency Management Agency (EMA, now know as Warren County Dept. of Emergency Services (DES)). Affiliation with EMA allows the team to use the meeting facilities at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Lebanon, OH, and allows requests for search assistance to be directed through the agency. The first regular monthly business meeting of the "Warren County Mounted Search Team" was held on January 16, 1992, at the EOC in Lebanon, with a presentation by Detective Rick Thacker on Evidence Protection. Six subcommttees were established, to coordinate the following aspects of the search team: Communications, Equipment, Finance, Ground Support, Procedures, and Training. The Policy and Procedures Manual was written by several members of the Search Team, each contributing sections which were then approved by the membership. Revisions are made as needed.

The WCMST has trained with Medina County Sheriff's Unit, Butler County Sheriff's Mounted Patrol, the Morrow, Lebanon, Turtlecreek, and Reilly Township Fire Dept., Warren County Dept. of Emergency Services (formerly Emergency Management Agency) and Warren County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES). We have shared trainings with other search teams, including Tri-State Search & Rescue Inc, East Fork State Park Mounted Search & Rescue, Central Ohio Mounted Search Unit (COMSU), Miami Valley Mounted Search & Rescue, and Southwestern Ohio Search & Rescue (SWOSAR). WCMST has assisted the Warren County Sheriff's Dept., Caesar Creek State Park Rangers, Preble County EMA, and the Oxford Police Dept. in actual searches, helped the Jefferson Township Fire Dept. (Adams County) check flood victims, and has patrolled the Little Miami Bike Trail in conjunction with Warren County RACES for the Juvenile Diabetes Bikathon. For information on becoming a Mounted Search Team member please call Judy Picklesimer 513-494-1417 or eMail wcmst1@msn.com For emergency assistance contact Warren County Department of Emergency Services 513-695-1315.

1/28/09 jp