ISSAR

Idaho State

Search And Rescue

2003 Winter Membership Minutes

March 29, 2003

Burley, ID - Hosted by Mini-Cassia

The meeting was called to order by Commander Dale Crowther at 1340

Invocation was given by Leonard Barendregt (Mini-Cassia)

Pledge of Allegiance was led by J.D. Drury (Franklin)

Commander Crowther thanked the local unit for hosting the Winter Board Meeting.

Roll Call

Counties - 15 Counties with 46 members present

Past State Commanders: Stan Fenn, Walt Charles,

National Treasurer: Mike Oliverson

Past National Commanders: Jerry Colvin, JD & Sandra Drury, Walt Rhodes

Special Guest: Sheriff Steve Southwick, Lincoln Co.

Those who asked to be excused: Deloy Braswell, Brent Lewis, John Dawdy, Glen & Jean Carter, Olivia Giannasi, Gordon & Marie Wothe, Phil & Evelyn Courtney, Ron Korn, Cole & Charlotte Colvin.

We had a moment of silence for: Francis Burgee (Bonneville) he was a member for over 40 years; E.P. Martin (Jerome) who was the founder of Jerome Co. ; Earl DeFilippis (Mini-Cassia), a member for 21 years.

Officer's Reports

1st Vice Commander, JD Drury - JD thanked Mini-Cassia for hosting the meeting this weekend. It was really fun to play in the water this morning, he learned a lot. Since the Trailride, in Salmon, they've hosted the National SAR Fall Meeting in Preston, attended the National Spring Meeting in Barstow, CA. Our unit has been fairly quiet. They only had one call out this winter. A rescue for an injured snowmobiler and they had to life flight her out. He has been in contact with 2 units to host the trailride and finally got 1 unit to take it.

2nd Vice Commander, Walt Rhodes - Since the fall board meeting, he has sent out letters to the units that aren't members of the state, didn't hear from any of them, which isn't unusual. He asked if anyone has any suggestions to help get more people back into the association, to let him know. He attended the National Winter Board Meeting in Preston. Also, the National Spring Board Meeting in Bartow, CA. They spent two months in Arizona till it warmed up. He thanked the Mini-Cassia Unit for hosting this board meeting which was great.

Treasurer, Olivia Giannasi - Excused, report was passed out to the membership.

Communications, Marsha Davis - Reported on trying to get a state repeater frequency for a mobile repeater. Mobile radios are only for secondary use. There are no clear frequencies; suggested 4 things:

1. Modify the current license 155.265 and apply for a secondary repeater frequency and that means we would all have to get one frequency, but it would be unlikely we would get a statewide frequency that is clean.

2. Getting a M.O.U. ( Memorandum Of Understanding ) between units that already have existing license, so you wouldn't have to go thru the application process. You can do that by regional or area and see who has licenses and see if they would be willing to do that.

3. In band repeater which would use your current license, which is 155.265, and it would receive and transmit on same frequency. Those aren't really good because you have to listen to them twice. These can cost from $500 to $3,000.

4. Another suggestion would be to see if the Sheriff's Association would investigate this and tackle it from the sheriff's standpoint. Sheriff Southwick said he would bring it up but didn't sound hopeful.

Marsha has the paperwork that the regional reps can fill out if they want to.

Bear Lake county just got a new base station with 16 channels in it. It covers their part of Idaho, Utah, Wyoming

Rod Knopp mentioned that the FCC has made the decision  to get a narrower band. There will probably be a couple of frequencies available but they wont work on our equipment.

Tim Noland said most of the new equipment you buy today just has to be programmed for the narrow or wide band.

Rick Pruitt said that the homeland security has 1.2 billion dollars available for communications, you just have to put in for a grant.

Secretary, Norma Charles - "Thanks to the host unit for all the work they did to put on this meeting!"

Unit Reports

Mini-Cassia, Commander Alton Johnson - reported that we had just received two different grants; over $6,000 for communications. We had to put a new repeater up on the mountain and upgraded our radios. Alton asked if any one had an idea how to keep the members in a unit; he'd like any suggestions.

Committee Reports

Everett Bogart Award- Brent Lewis, as the Chairman of the Bogart Award Committee asked Jerry Colvin to meet with the members of the Bogart Memorial Award Committee at this board meeting. It was suggested to rename this award to "The Idaho State Search & Rescue Outstanding Member Award". There will be discussion at the summer convention.

Legislative, Walt Charles -talked to Julie Hamilton at the Law Enforcement Office in Meridian. There is $25,000 in reimbursement, $15,000 in the equipment (which is the maximum) and some has spilled over in the training fund; catastrophic doesn't have any in it. They have a backlog of applications, but they will be paid.

Sheriff's Association, Sheriff Southwick - Since he has been keeping track of the searches, which in almost 2 years he has approved $62,359.53 of the reimbursement requests on the searches. The bill that we want to present to the legislature is one that will attach a $1.00 fee to each ATV, boat, snowmobile, hunting and fishing license, it would bring in about $450,000 a year. But we don't have any way to show them we need that much money. At the last Sheriff's meeting and the Search & Rescue Committee meeting, we made a slight addition to the reimbursement for. It's simple, a page with a bunch of lines for everybody to use. Fill the page out with actual cost, wages, cost for the use of equipment. He wants to get a realistic view of actual cost gathered. 10 searches has come with at least parcel actual cost sheet. In those searches the reimbursement has been $11,600 and the actual cost $49,100. We need to get the information together so we can go the the legislature next year to show them what we really need this money for. So the counties won't be having to pay out of county coffers. The snowmobilers are first and hunters are second for the most looked for people. Give enough information so we can go in front of the legislature and get enough money to allow us to do some real imbursements. Because the state hasn't been paying the requests as soon as we get them (it's a political problem) there is more money in the fund it is in better shape than it has been in for quite a while. The catastrophic fund was put on so that we could pay some of the real expenses, anything over the $4000 limit, which would be for use of helicopters and etc. We don't have any monies in the cat fund. Sheriff Southwick needs to have that application turned in 3 months after the end of the search. His address is on the web site. The attached page is for statistical use only. House Bill 113 is now law. A lot of counties are not sending in their searches.

Zone Reps

Zone 1, Marsha Davis- Our zone is having a lot of UTS Tracking in the next 3 months, get on the UTS Tracking website to check the dates.

Unfinished Business

Minutes - Marsha Davis, Kootenai Co. made the motion the approve the last minutes and 2nd by Warney May, Latah Co. Motion passed. The minutes will be sent in the next mailing.

New Business

Washington State Meeting -John Davis reports that this is being held May 16-18. Training includes water rescue & over 60 instructors. Search management and other classes. Look on the internet. Rescue 3 class is $295.

Universal Tracking System Marsha reports is having a conference in April & June at Priest Lake.

House Bill 113, JD Drury- some units are having problems and we need to go to the conferences and training sessions to help us work more professionally. If they are close to us we should make an extra effort to attend. It will help the whole state.

Palouse-Clearwater Anniversary - Charlie (Latah) mentioned that Palouse-Clearwater is celebrating their 40th Anniversary on March 3. He is organizing a quick response team. He's using GPS for coordination and is making  a video of the practice run.

Future meetings

State Summer Conference -Boundary County will host June 18,19,20,21. They handed out packets to as many member units as they could today.

National Convention -Bear Lake, June 12-15. There will be Dutch oven dinner. Governor Kempthorne is scheduled to be in town. They are having first aid training and most everything they have had in the past. It's still in the planning stage.

Fall Trailride - Fremont County is to host this year. They will do things different; they are going to give everyone a map and GPS coordinates. We have to play follow the leader and it will be a competition to see our area. We will do it in a park. Also, some avalanche training; we can bring our own avalanche beacon.

Warney May, Latah Co. - Moved to adjourn, 2nd by Jerry Colvin.

Norma Charles, Secretary

Dale Crowther, Commander