AREA SEARCH
When a person goes missing or is lost the potential search area can be very large. A handler/dog team can
search a large area utilizing the wind. Dogs are natural athletes and can smell a person hundreds of yards
away. The handler's job is to choose the best strategy to cover a given area. Search
dog teams work well with all water, land and air resources available on a search.
TYPE I
Capable of searching and
self-sustaining for 72 hours in all weather and low angle wilderness terrain or larger areas of 120+ acres
TYPE
II
Capable of searching and self-sustaining for 48 hours in all weather and low angle wilderness terrain or larger areas
of 120+ acres
TYPE III
Capable of searching high probability local wilderness terrain for short durations
(24 hours or less) or small areas of 60-120 acres
TYPE IV
Capable of searching high probability local wilderness
terrain for short durations (12 hours or less) or small areas of 40-60 acres
DISASTER SEARCH
We are familiar
with major disasters causing catastrophic damage to 
structures. Disaster dog teams are highly specialized in their training. These teams
work to find live people and direct rescuers to their location. Disaster dogs are trained to work in dangerous
conditions combining calm with athleticism. Handler's direct their dogs' every movement at a distance
and can ask them to go left or right or up or down. The dog’s job is to find and alert on live human
scent emerging through debris and rubble. Type I
Search
Capabilities A disaster search canine that has successfully completed the DHS/FEMA Disaster Search Canine Readiness Evaluation
for both Type II and Capable of national and international responses
Type II
A disaster search canine that
has successfully completed the DHS/FEMA Disaster Search Canine Readiness Evaluation for Type II only; Capable of national
and international responses
Type III
A disaster search canine that has successfully completed Disaster Search
Canine Readiness Evaluation through an organized disaster task force – non-FEMA; Capable of national and international
responses
Type IV
A search canine with minimal exposure to disaster search; Capable of local/regional response
only; No task force participation
AVALANCHE RESCUE
When an avalanche occurs one of the best tools for locating a live victim is the avalanche dog team. A
dog can cover a large area of the slide in a short period of time, looking for human scent emerging from the snow.
Handlers are highly trained in winter survival skills and work in the most extreme conditions. Avalanche
dog teams work closely with ski resorts, ski patrol and mountain rescue organizations.Type I
Search Capabilities Capable of self-sustaining and searching for 24 hours in extreme weather and terrain conditions
through avalanche debris fields
Type II
Capable of self-sustaining and searching for 24 hours in snow-covered
environments in extreme weather conditions and moderate terrain
SCENT TRAILING
As a person moves through the environment they leave behind a trail of scent. Scent is unique to individuals
and a dog can follow this scent leading to clues, evidence or to the individual that is lost or missing. The
dog’s job is to find and follow the scent of the individual. The Handler’s job is to interpret
the dog to determine the best strategy to find the lost or missing person. Trailing dog teams work
with law enforcement and rescue organizations in both wilderness and urban areas.Type I
Search Capabilities Capable of trailing
in wilderness terrain; Aged 24+ hours; 1 mile or longer; Heavy contamination
Type II
Capable of trailing
in wilderness terrain; Aged 4-12 hours; 1 mile or longer; Heavy contamination
Type III
Capable of trailing
in wilderness terrain; Aged 1.5-4 hours; .5-1 mile; Heavy contamination
Type IV
Capable of trailing in wilderness
terrain; Aged 0-1.5 hours; .25-.5 mile; Heavy contamination
HUMAN REMAINS DETECTION
Human remains detection dog teams are trained
to find and indicate on
scent created by the decay of human tissue. These teams are often used by law enforcement to locate evidence,
victims of crimes, or when human remains are difficult to identify. Often these teams are asked to look
for small amounts of material. Type I
Search Capabilities Capable of locating less than 15 grams
of human remains during disaster ops; Capable of self-sustaining for 24 hours
Type II
Capable of locating
deceased persons (greater than 15 grams) in disaster ops; Capable of self-sustaining for 24 hours
Type III
Capable of locating less than 15 grams of human remains buried, hanging, ground level, or in vehicles, nondisaster
TypeIV
Capable of locating less than 15 grams of human remains buried, hanging, ground level, nondisaster
