RESOURCE: CANINE SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM - DISASTER RESPONSE
CATEGORY: Search & Rescue (ESF #9)
KIND: Team
TYPE I
TYPE II
TYPE III
TYPE IV
MINIMUM CAPABILITIES:
Component
Metric
A disaster
A disaster
A disaster search
A search canine
Dog Team:
Search
with minimal
1 Dog
Capabilities search canine search canine canine that has
that has
that has
successfully completed exposure to
1 Handler
successfully
successfully
Disaster Search Canine disaster search;
1 Support Person
Knowledge and
Equipment for
Search Dog
Teams
COMMENTS:
completed the
DHS/FEMA
Disaster Search
Canine
Readiness
Evaluation for
both Type II and
Capable of
national and
international
responses
All requirements
as set forth by
DHS/FEMA
National US&R
Response
System
completed the
DHS/FEMA
Disaster Search
Canine
Readiness
Evaluation for
Type II only;
Capable of
national and
international
responses
All requirements
as set forth by
DHS/FEMA
National US&R
Response
System
Readiness Evaluation
through an organized
disaster task force non-FEMA; Capable of
national and
international responses
OTHER
Capable of
local/regional
response only; No
task force
participation
All requirements as set
forth by organized task
force for availability for
national/international
response
Agility; Obedience;
First AidHuman/Dog;
HazMat; Disaster;
Environment
Exposure minimal;
Initial responder
readiness through
local agency
Please note that many of these resources are capable of searching in a disaster environment, such as a
wilderness team in outlying areas of a tornado zone, etc. It is critical that canine management personnel,
knowledgeable in multiuse of canine resources, are available to Incident Command. This will not necessarily
be reflected in this document.
OBI, Minka 3
Bart Domino, 4
Uffda 5
Intraining, Ranger, Foster,
UFFDA, 5 Forest, Ranger, 4 Bella, Sukio, Foster, 4 Dimino,4 Hootie,
Molly,4 Cody, Shatzy, Izzy, Sumo,5 Kandi, 5 Cosmo,4 Minka, 4 Obi,
2 Bart 4
RESOURCE: CANINE SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM - LAND CADAVER AIR SCENT
CATEGORY: Search & Rescue, Other
KIND: Team
TYPE I
TYPE II
TYPE III
TYPE IV
OTHER
MINIMUM CAPABILITIES:
Component
Metric
Capable of
Capable of
Capable of
Capable of locating Capable of locating
Dog Team:
Search
1 Dog
Capabilities locating less than locating deceased locating less than less than 15 grams deceased persons
15 grams of
persons (greater 15 grams of
of human remains (greater than 15
1 Handler
human remains than 15 grams) in human remains buried, hanging,
grams) buried,
1 Support
during disaster disaster ops;
buried, hanging, ground level,
hanging, ground
Person
ops; Capable of Capable of self- ground level, or in nondisaster
level, nondisaster
Knowledge and
Equipment for
Land Cadaver
Search Dog
Teams
self-sustaining for sustaining for 24
24 hours
hours
Training and
Training and
equipment for
equipment for
biohazard
biohazard
environment,
environment,
including OSHA including OSHA
guidelines, scene guidelines, scene
preservation,
preservation,
documentation, documentation,
collection, chain collection, chain
of custody, and of custody, and
scene security; scene security;
First Aid for both First Aid for both
human and dog, human and dog,
personal/ dog
personal/ dog
safety, and radio safety, and radio
communications; communications;
Disaster ops
Disaster ops
training and
training and
capabilities
capabilities
vehicles,
nondisaster
Training and
Training and
equipment for
equipment for
biohazard
biohazard
environment,
environment,
including OSHA including OSHA
guidelines, scene guidelines, scene
preservation,
preservation,
documentation, documentation,
collection, chain of collection, chain of
custody, and
custody, and scene
scene security;
security; First Aid
First Aid for both for both human and
human and dog, dog, personal/ dog
personal/ dog
safety, and radio
safety, and radio communications
communications
COMMENTS:
Domino , Kandi 1
UFFDA, 5 Forest, Ranger, Bella, Sukio, Foster, Dimino,1 Hootie,
Molly, Cody, Shatzy, Izzy, Sumo, Kandi, 2 Cosmo, Minka, Obi, Bart
Training and
equipment for
biohazard
environment,
including OSHA
guidelines, scene
preservation,
documentation,
collection, chain of
custody, and scene
security; First Aid
for both human and
dog, personal/ dog
safety, and radio
communications
RESOURCE: CANINE SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM - WATER AIR SCENT
CATEGORY: Search & Rescue (ESF #9)
KIND: Team
TYPE I
TYPE II
TYPE III
TYPE IV
MINIMUM CAPABILITIES:
Component
Metric
Capable of working Capable of working Capable of working Capable of
Dog Team:
Search
swiftwater and
working
1 Dog
Capabilities swiftwater/stillwater stillwater
environments;
environments;
stillwater ops from swiftwater ops
1 Handler
Trained and
Trained and
shore only
from shore only
1 Support Person
equipped to perform
search ops on foot
and from any type of
watercraft
Knowledge and
Equipment for
Water Search
Dog Teams
COMMENTS:
Type VI
equipped to
perform search ops
on foot and from
any type of
watercraft
Type VII
Capable of working
salt-water and very
large fresh water
environments from
both boat and shore
Type I, III, IV, VI, VII
Capable of working
salt-water and very
large fresh water
environments from
shore only
Type II, V
Water Helmet; Class
V Water Vest; Throw
Rope; Swiftwater
lifesaving skills;
Knowledge of water
rescue and boat
operations; First Aid
for both human and
dog; Personal/dog
safety; Radio
communications
OTHER
Capable of
working
stillwater ops
from shore only
Water Helmet;
Class III-V Water
Vest; Throw Rope,
Stillwater lifesaving
skills; Knowledge
of water rescue
operations in
stillwater
environment; First
Aid for both human
and dog;
Personal/dog
safety, Radio
communications
equipment
Note: Many of these resources are capable of searching in a disaster environment, such as a wilderness
team in outlying areas of a tornado zone, etc. It is critical that canine management personnel, knowledgeable
in multiuse of canine resources, are available to Incident Command. This will not necessarily be reflected in
this document.
Intraining Cody, Molly, Bella
UFFDA, 2 Forest, Ranger, Bella, Sukio, Foster, Dimino,3 Hootie,
Molly, 2 Cody,3 Shatzy,3 Izzy, Sumo, Kandi, Cosmo, Minka,3 Obi,
Bart 3
RESOURCE: CANINE SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM - WILDERNESS AIR SCENT
Search & Rescue (ESF #9)
CATEGORY:
KIND: Team
TYPE I
TYPE II
TYPE III
TYPE IV
OTHER
MINIMUM CAPABILITIES:
Component Metric
Capable of
Capable of
Capable of searching Capable of
Human discriminating
Single
Search
Resource
Capabilities search and self- searching and high probability local searching high (scent source
Single
Resource
COMMENTS:
sustaining for self-sustaining wilderness terrain for probability local necessary)
72 hours in all for 48 hours in short durations
wilderness terrain
weather and all weather and (24 hours or less) or for short durations
low angle
low angle
small areas 40-60 (12 hours or less)
wilderness
wilderness
acres
or small areas 40terrain or larger terrain or larger
60 acres
areas of 60+ areas of 60+
acres
acres
Capable of
Capable of
Capable of searching Capable of
Nondiscriminating
Search
Capabilities searching and searching and high probability local searching high (locate all human
self-sustaining self-sustaining wilderness terrain for probability local indication in area)
for 72 hours in for 48 hours in short durations
wilderness terrain
all weather and all weather and (24 hours or less) or for short durations
low angle
low angle
small areas of 60- (12 hours or less)
wilderness
wilderness
120 acres
or small areas of
terrain or larger terrain or larger
40-60 acres
areas of 120+ areas of 120+
acres
acres
There are significant differences in the training required for urban versus wilderness environments, both in air
scent/area and trailing/tracking. Because of the vast differences, often a resource highly skilled in one
environment may not function as well in the other environment because of a lack of continuous training in the
environment. Teams may be cross-trained in both environments, depending on the team training criteria.
Note: Many of these resources are capable of searching in a disaster environment, such as a wilderness team
in outlying areas of a tornado zone, etc. It is critical that canine management personnel, knowledgeable in
multiuse of canine resources, are available to Incident Command. This will not necessarily be reflected in this
document.
.Minka, Obi, Sukio, Bart, Domino
UFFDA, 5 Forest, Ranger, Bella, Sukio, Foster, Dimino,1 Hootie,
Molly, Cody, Shatzy, Izzy, Sumo,1 Kandi, Cosmo, 1Minka, 1 Obi,1
Bart 1
RESOURCE: CANINE SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM - WILDERNESS TRACKING/TRAILING
CATEGORY: Law Enforcement/Security, Search & Rescue KIND: Team
(ESF #9)
TYPE I
MINIMUM CAPABILITIES:
Component Metric
Capable of trailing
Dog Team:
Search
1 Dog
Capabilities in wilderness
terrain; Aged
1 Handler
24+ hours; 1 mile
1 Support
or longer; Heavy
Person
TYPE II
TYPE III
TYPE IV
OTHER
Capable of trailing Capable of trailing Capable of trailing in Discriminating
in wilderness
in wilderness
wilderness terrain; (scent source must
terrain; Aged
terrain, Aged
Aged
be available)
4-12 hours; 1 mile 1.5-4 hours; .5-1 0-1.5 hours; .25-.5
or longer; Heavy mile; Heavy
mile; Heavy
contamination
contamination
contamination
contamination
Personally
Personally
Personally
Personally equipped N/A
Knowledge and
equipped for
equipped for
equipped for
for
Equipment for
24 hours for
24 hours for
24 hours for
24 hours for
Search Dog
dog/handler;
dog/handler;
dog/handler;
dog/handler;
Teams
Wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness survival
survival skills;
survival skills;
survival skills;
skills; Capable of
Capable of
Capable of
Capable of
establishing and
establishing and establishing and establishing and maintaining direction
maintaining
maintaining
maintaining
of travel; First Aid for
direction of travel; direction of travel; direction of travel; both human and dog;
First Aid for both First Aid for both First Aid for both Personal/ dog safety;
human and dog; human and dog; human and dog; Radio
Personal/ dog
Personal/ dog
Personal/ dog
communications;
safety; Radio
safety; Radio
safety; Radio
Skill in collection of
communications; communications; communications; scent articles
Skill in collection Skill in collection Skill in collection
of scent articles of scent articles of scent articles
COMMENTS:
As these dogs use scent articles, they are commonly referred to as trailing dogs. However, occasionally, a unit
may refer to such dogs as tracking dogs. They do have the capability of human discrimination between sources
with the aid of a provided scent source. Care should be taken to determine if a tracking dog requires the use of
an article or not.
Note: Many of these resources are capable of searching in a disaster environment, such as a wilderness team
in outlying areas of a tornado zone, etc. It is critical that canine management personnel, knowledgeable in
multiuse of canine resources, are available to Incident Command. This will not necessarily be reflected in this
document.
Uffda 1
UFFDA, Forest, Ranger, Bella, Sukio, Foster, Dimino, Hootie,
Molly, Cody, Shatzy, Izzy, Sumo, Kandi, Cosmo, Minka, Obi, Bart
RESOURCE: CANINE SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM - AVALANCHE SNOW AIR SCENT
CATEGORY: Search & Rescue (ESF #9)
KIND: Team
TYPE I
TYPE II
TYPE III
TYPE IV
OTHER
MINIMUM CAPABILITIES:
Component
Metric
Capable of selfCapable of selfN/A
Dog Team:
Search
sustaining and
1 Dog
Capabilities sustaining and
searching for 24
searching for 24
1 Handler
hours in extreme hours in snow1 Support Person
weather and terrain
conditions through
avalanche debris
fields
Knowledge and
Equipment for
Avalanche/Snow
Search Dog
Teams
COMMENTS:
covered
environments in
extreme weather
conditions and
moderate terrain
Personal snow
Personal snow
N/A
travel equipment
travel equipment
and gear to
and gear to
self-sustain for 24 self-sustain for 24
hours; Equipped to hours; Equipped to
include crossinclude
country skis or snow cross-country skis
shoes, poles, probe or snow shoes,
poles, snow shovel, poles, probe poles,
and avalanche
snow shovel, and
beacon; Training, avalanche beacon;
including avalanche Training, including
safety and winter avalanche safety
survival, including and winter survival,
building snow cave, including building
First Aid for both
snow cave, First Aid
human and dog,
for both human and
personal/ dog
dog, personal/ dog
safety, and radio
safety, and radio
communications
communications
Note: Many of these resources are capable of searching in a disaster environment, such as a wilderness
team in outlying areas of a tornado zone, etc. It is critical that canine management personnel, knowledgeable
in multiuse of canine resources, are available to Incident Command. This will not necessarily be reflected in
this document.
UFFDA, Forest, Ranger, Bella, Sukio, Foster, Dimino, Hootie,
Molly, Cody, Shatzy, Izzy, Sumo, Kandi, Cosmo, Minka, Obi, Bart