Utilizing Canines on Searches

1. Utilizing Canines on Searches Presented by: Rocky Mountain Rescue Dogs 2011 Utah Sheriffs’ Association Conference

4. Outline/Overview • About Rocky Mountain Rescue Dogs • Search and Rescue that makes “Sense” • Techniques when Deploying Search Dogs • What can RMRD do for you?

5. About Rocky Mountain Rescue Dogs • Rocky Mountain Rescue Dogs (RMRD) is  a non-profit organization of individuals in Utah who donate their time and resources to assist in Search and Rescue operations around the country. • RMRD is the oldest and largest canine search and rescue group in the state of Utah. • Established in 1980 • Current membership is 27 • Members span from Utah County up to Box Elder County

6. About Rocky Mountain Rescue Dogs • RMRD trains canines for Tracking, Wilderness, Avalanche, Disaster, Urban, HRD/Cadaver and Water searches. • Each dog/handler team must meet rigid standards in air scent search, tracking, canine obedience, mountaineering  skills, first aid, and search strategies for a lost or injured person. • Each dog/handler team must pass an Operational Wilderness Test prior to going on any search.

7. About Rocky Mountain Rescue Dogs • RMRD can only be dispatched by the local law enforcement agency. • You have overall jurisdiction for all searches, and RMRD is a volunteer origination that offers their services to these departments. • RMRD is self-insured • 1 million liability coverage • RMRD is on call 24 hours a day • 1-800-327-DOGS (3647) • www.RockyMountainRescueDogs.com

8. About Rocky Mountain Rescue Dogs • RMRD currently has 10 certified and deployable dog teams • 6 Specialized Operational • Advanced trained • 4 Operational • Wilderness capable • RMRD has 10 candidate dog teams currently training for Operational status • Average training time prior to becoming operational ready is 1-2 years

9. About Rocky Mountain Rescue Dogs • RMRD has assisted in • Lost Boy Scout Uinta Mountain Search (2004) -- still missing • Bloomington Lake Search (8/18/2007) -- body recovered 1 week later • Missing BYU Student Search (9/7/2007) -- body recovered 1 week later • Emery County Search (11/24/2008) -- remains found 4/25/2009 • Canyon lands Search (5/10/2008) --remains found 3/18/2009 • Farmington Search (6/13/2009) -- alive, found 24 hours later • Uinta Search 62 year old man (7/14/2009) --alive, found 37 hours later • West Wendover 66 year old man (10/7/2009) -- RMRD located • Antelope Island, 32 year old man (2/27/2010) -- body recovered 1 day later • Mountain View Wyoming Search (5/10/2010) -- body recovered 1 year later • Mill Hollow Search, 54 year old man (7/18/2010) -- body recovered 1 week later • Dushene County Search, 82 year old man (10/11/2010) -- alive, found 4 hours into search • West Wendover 16 year old female (3/5/2011) -- body recovered that day • Grand County, 37 year old male (7/11/2011) -- still missing • Daggett County, 12 year old male (8/13/2011) -- alive, found next morning

10. Rocky Mountain Canines Germans Blondes

11. Rocky Mountain Canines

13. The “Senses” of Search and Rescue • Touch • Taste • Sight • Smell • Hearing • Only 2 of the 5 senses are primarily used by humans when searching

14. The Senses used by Canines when searching • Smell • Sight • Hearing • Taste • 4 of the 5 senses are primarily used by canines when searching

15. Anatomy of a Canine Nose • Humans have 5 million olfactory receptors in their nose. • A dog has more than 220 million olfactory receptors in its nose

16. Smell Test • What Humans Smell • Chocolate Chip Cookies • What Dogs smell • Sugar • Brown sugar • Butter • Eggs • Vanilla extract • All-purpose flour • Baking soda • Salt • Chocolate chips

17. Efficiency of K-9 Unit in an Avalanche Search 20 humans 7 minutes 20 human 15 minutes 20 humans 30 minutes 12454 sq ft. 7100 sq ft 3500 Sq ft 1 K-9 Unit can do the same work as 400 people. And it is easier, quicker and safer to deploy an Avalanche Rescue Dog Team than large groups of people.

18. Techniques when Deploying Search Dogs

20. Deploy Dogs Early • The tendency is to call in dogs after an initial primary sweep. • “Didn’t want to bother you” Excuse • Fast Deployment = Fresher Scent • Longer the time = diluted scent • Fast Deployment = Less Human Contamination • Trails/Area mainly contain the subject’s scent early on • Scent is not disturbed • Wind, rain, heat, etc. • Higher probability a tracking dog is able to determine a direction of travel.

22. Canine Search Disiplines • Tracking

23. Canine Search Disiplines • Tracking • Wilderness

24. Canine Search Disiplines • Tracking • Wilderness • Avalanche

25. Canine Search Disiplines • Tracking • Wilderness • Avalanche • Water

26. Canine Search Disiplines • Tracking • Wilderness • Avalanche • Water • Cadaver

27. Canine Search Disiplines • Tracking • Wilderness • Avalanche • Water • Cadaver • Urban

28. Canine Certifications in RMRD • Tracking • RMRD Level III Certified (2) • NASAR Level III Certified (2) • TTT/Georgia K-9 Certified (4) • Wilderness • RMRD Level III Certified (6) • RMRD Level II Certified (4) • NASAR Level II Certified (3) • Disaster • Former FEMA certified canine (1) • Avalanche • RMRD Level III Certified (5) • Cadaver Recovery • NASAR Cadaver Certified (2)

30. Preservation of Scent Articles • Scent Articles establish an identity • Match game: • For Canines: Scent to Source • Gives Canines a single point of reference • One Scent = one person • A contaminated scent article can confuse the dog, thus giving the dog the impression that any scent on that article is fair game to find. • Plastic bags “trap” the scent inside the bag • Paper bags are permeable and allow outside scents in.

31. Scent and Subject Information • Scent Articles gives the canine the blueprint of subject • Medical conditions • Medication • Mental state • Anger • Fear • Adrenaline • Physical • Diabetic • Autistic • Cancer

33. Environmental Conditions • Wind is the best ally when using canines • Scent comes to the dog, rather the dog to the scent • Can clear large areas based off wind alone

34. Area Elimination off Wind

35. Area Elimination off Wind

36. Area Elimination off Wind

37. Area Elimination off Wind

38. Area Elimination off Wind

39. Area Elimination off Wind

40. Area Elimination off Wind

41. Environmental Conditions • Wind is the best ally when using canines • Scent comes to the dog, rather the dog to the scent • Can clear large areas based off wind alone • Hot vs Cold Weather • Heat = scent rises • Cold= scent pools on the ground • Ideal times to track: early morning or late evening • Dry vs Moist Conditions • Dry doesn’t hold scent • Wet environment traps scent

42. Scent Theory • Air currents • Ideal air current: 3-7 mph • Ground vs Atmospheric • Scent Pockets • Valleys and canyons • up at night, down during the day • Vegetation • Scent sticks to it. • Subject hotspots • High concentration of scent

44. Tracking Collars GPS Technology and Mapping • Ability to track canine movement • See real time progress • Can see other dog team locations • Able to adjust coverage accordingly • Ability to evaluate what has been covered and what needs to be on the fly

45. Area Coverage

46. Area Elimination • Probability of Detection (P.O.D.) • Higher confidence using a Canine Team • Bringing more than just sight and hearing to the search • Scent unveils a subject that is out of plain sight • High confidence of area elimination

47. Area Elimination – Mill Hollow 2010-07-18

48. Area Elimination – Antelope Island 2010-02-27

49. Antelope Island 2010-02-27Location of the Subject

50. What RMRD Can do for you • Impact of Searches • Searches focus many deputies on one situation • Time and Recourses are shifted away from the day to day duties of a department. • Searches cost money, the longer the search goes on the more expensive it is. • RMRD is a free resource for any Law Enforcement Agency to use