East Hanover Volunteer Rescue Squad introduces Life Member Ed Martin, and his bloodhound, Maggie Mae, partners for the EHVRS SAR K-9 Team.
MISSION:
The SAR (Search and Rescue) K-9 Team of the East Hanover Volunteer Rescue Squad is currently being formed to provide the citizens of Hanover County, without cost, highly trained search and rescue personnel along with their K-9's, to help locate the lost and missing in our community. These services are available to law enforcement and Fire/EMS when needed.
If we are tracking a person with Alzheimer's that has wandered away from their home, or a child that has gotten lost in the woods while hiking, our goal is to be on scene and tracking as quick as possible. If the missing person is one of your family members, we want to bring them back to you safe and sound.
SAR DOG TRAINING:
Our team will train all working breads of dogs from COLLIES, SHEPHERDS, LABRADORS, to the well renowned BLOODHOUNDS.
Dogs locate people that are lost or missing from their human scent left behind by over 40,000 skin cells dropped every minute. The SAR dog training is gradual and each dog responds at it's own pace. When we train, we use a variety of subjects for mock search and rescue exercises to keep our skills and knowledge at it highest level possible.
We train to the standards of The National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR), but we also attend other training sessions held by other groups across Virginia.
HOW SAR TRACKING DOGS WORK:
The tracking dog works on a lead 20 to 30 feet in length. After arriving at a search site we will collect a scent article of the missing person. We will than put a harness on the dog, attach the 20 to 30 foot lead, and present the scent article to the SAR dog. Once the dog picks up the scent the SEARCH IS ON! Hopefully after a short period of time, the team will locate the missing person and bring them back safe and sound to their loved ones.
Here we attach the SAR lead to Maggie Mae and present the SCENT article.
As they say, after the scent is presented, THE SEARCH IS ON!
Here we see Maggie Mae locate the lost person by their scent.
QUICK ACTIVATION:
Activation of a SAR K-9 Team is vital to locating a lost or missing person. History has shown that in most cases, more then 3 to 4 hours passes before the K-9 team is activated. This allows the track to age and make it harder to pick up the scent. The first thing that happens when a person goes missing, is the family will notice they are missing and search for a period of time before calling for help. The average time is around 1 hour. Most of the time law enforcement is first to arrive. It will take them anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour to collect information about the missing person. They may search for a while before calling fire or ems for assistance. Usually when Fire or EMS agencies arrive, they will search for a while before calling for SAR K-9 teams. This may not be true in all areas, but it is usually true in most cases. Our goal is to have the SAR K-9 Team activated as soon as the missing person is reported. We would rather be cancelled in route then to arrive after the trail has aged.
PUBLIC TRAINING:
Education is a vital part of helping locate the missing or lost person. We are dedicated to educating children and adults about how to be safe in the woods while hiking and what to take with them to help them be found in the event they get lost. In this program we teach children how to keep themselves safe until found.
We also provide adults with information about the things they can provide to us when we arrive that can aid us in locating the lost or missing person. At the end of the class if time and weather permits, we will conduct a short SAR exercises using the K-9 to locate a subject. They love to show off! We use a program produced by the Association of National Park Rangers called "Lost!...But Found Safe and Sound". This is a 12 minute video for kids 4-12 years old. We present this video along with hands on demonstrations about how to use the material covered in the video. Even though the video is for kids, the parents can pick up on tips to use to help keep their child safe if they do get lost.
If you would like to schedule a class for your school, church, civic group or other organization please contact the East Hanover Volunteer Rescue Squad at (804) 746-5883 Ext. 48, or e-mail sark9team@ehvrs.org, and we will be glad to talk with you about setting up a class for your group or organization. Brochures are available on this life-saving program as well. Simpley call the squad or e-mail the above address.
SAR K-9 Team brochures will be available from this website shortly. Links are currently under development.
For linking to the Association of National Park Rangers (ANPR), please proceed to the HELPFUL LINKS page/tab as provided by this website.
East Hanover Volunteer Rescue Squad introduces Life Member Ed Martin, and his bloodhound, Maggie Mae, partners for the EHVRS SAR K-9 Team.
Here we attach the SAR lead to Maggie Mae and present the SCENT article.
As they say, after the scent is presented, THE SEARCH IS ON!
Here we see Maggie Mae locate the lost person by their scent.