Get Involved

There are many ways to get involved with the MRU…these are just some of the ways we moving forward so far…

Mounted Search, Rescue, Recovery, Evidence Identification, and Medicolegal Death Investigation

• Qualifications: Mounted Search and Rescue work is physically demanding, it requires trained skills, and stamina. Individuals who have a minimum of five years of regular horsemanship and solid riding experience, or who are accomplished riders, or trainers, etc., with no criminal record, and who have no physical limitations that would compromise their health and/or safety are welcome to apply.

• Mounted Search and Rescue Training: Mounted Search and Rescue volunteers are required to attend 50% of all offered LCCO MRU mounted trainings and 50% of all classroom trainings throughout a calendar year from January 1st to December 31st.

  • Mounted Training: 3-hour disciplined law-enforcement-type training courses held once-a-month on a Sunday afternoon. Mounted Search and Rescue Trainings are not follow-the-leader trail rides or social gatherings. Training formats are similar to clinics and group lessons, but are formal events for MRU Mounted Volunteers. Curriculum includes relaxation clinics, loading, The Ten Basics, Obstacles, Formations, and Search and Rescue education. *We do not do offer crowd control service, but we train crowd control for educational purposes.

    • Practicing Turnout: “Turnout” means how you and your horse turn out for a training. All LCCO MRU trainings are formal uniformed events giving every equine-rider team the opportunity to practice proper turn out for public events. Horses are expected to arrive clean and prepared. Equipment and tack is expected to arrive in good repair, clean, and prepared. Riders are expected to arrive clean, in uniform, and prepared. Disheveled horses and/or riders and/or faulty equipment will be required to remedy the situation before allowed to participate per Commander Pettler.

    • Socializing is not permitted during training. We welcome socializing during our Pot Luck Social Hour that follows every mounted training.

  • Classroom Training: 2-hour disciplined law-enforcement-type training courses held once-a-month on a weeknight evening. They are informal, no uniforms required, but are encouraged. are not social gatherings.

• Ranking System: The LCCO MRU has it’s own ranking system for all Mounted Search and Rescue Volunteers. All horses and rider certifications are approved by Deputy Coroner Commander Dr. Laura Pettler:

  • T-MSAR (Trainee Mounted Search and Rescue) - New applicants accepted to the unit who are beginning training to certify to deploy

    • T1-MSAR (Trainee 1 Mounted Search and Rescue) - T-MSARs who have passed Certification Test 1

    • T2-MSAR (Trainee 2 Mounted Search and Rescue) - T-MSARs who have passed Certification Tests 1 and 2

    • T3-MSAR (Trainee 3 Mounted Search and Rescue) - T-MSARs who have passed Certification Tests 1, 2, and 3

  • C-MSAR (Certified Search and Rescue) - T3-MSARs who have passed Certification Tests 1, 2, 3, and 4 earn the new rank of C-MSAR.

    • C1-MSAR (Certified Mounted Search and Rescue) - After one year of service

    • C2-MSAR (Certified Mounted Search and Rescue) - After two years of service

    • C3-MSAR (Certified Mounted Search and Rescue) - After three years of service

  • CS-MSAR (Certified Senior Mounted Search and Rescue) - After three years of service, C3-MSARs earn the new rank of S-MSAR

• As of March 1, 2025, Mounted Volunteers and their horses must train and pass four certification tests on an annual basis to achieve the rank of the LCCO MRU’s Certified Mounted Search and Rescue Volunteer (C-MSAR). Horses and riders can certify individually.

• Certification Test 1: Trailering: loading, unloading, quick-release safety knots

  1. Certification Test 2: The Basic Ten Riding Skills:

     1. Walk

     2. Trot

     3. Canter

     4. Halt, Rein back

     5. Turn on the Forehand left

     6. Turn on the Forehand right

     7. Turn on the Haunches left

     8. Turn on the Haunches right

     9. Side Pass left

     10. Side Pass right

  2. Certification Test 3: Search Patterns, Formations, and Drill

  3. Certification Test 4: The LCCO MRU Timed Obstacle Course

Non-Mounted Equine Management and Deployment Support

• Deployment Equine Management - supplies, grooming, tack, equipment, walking horses, assisting veterinarians and farriers, and more…

• Event Equine Management - grooming, tacking, presenting horses for the public

Community Outreach

• Schools

• Nursing homes

• Domestic Violence Survivors

• Veterans, EMS, Law Enforcement, and other First Responders

MRU Infrastructure

• Committees

• Deployment & Events Committee - overseen by Deputy Coroner Logistics Director Alexis Pettler; reports to Command

  • Chair Jennifer Candela

• Fundraising Committee - overseen and reports to Command

  • Chair T-MSAR Ivy LeDonne

• Awards Committee

  • Chair Coroner Deese

  • Commander Pettler

  • Assistant Commander McCollum

• MSAR Volunteer Coordination Committee - overseen and reports to Commander Pettler

  • Chair - T-MSAR Ivy LeDonne

MRU Explorers Program

• MRU Deputy Coroner Director of Logistics Alexis Pettler and her team run the MRU Explorers Program. MRU Explorers must be 14-18 years old and have parent permission to participate. MRU Explorers are not mounted searchers. They may participate in community outreach and lots of other educational and fun events.

  • Chair - Charlie Evosevich