STUDENT MANUAL CANINE SEARCH SPECIALIST TRAINING UNIT 8: ADVANCED RUBBLE SEARCH

Transcription

1 STUDENT MANUAL CANINE SEARCH SPECIALIST TRAINING UNIT 8: ADVANCED RUBBLE SEARCH Unit Objective Enabling Objectives Upon completion of this unit, you will be able to explain the rationale for canine foundation training and the advanced skills necessary for a canine to effectively search in a disaster environment. You will: Explain the importance of exposing canine to varied disaster scenarios; Describe the importance of the handler being knowledgeable in search strategy and scenting conditions; and Identify and solve problems that develop in disaster search scenarios. November 2006 SM Unit 8-1

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3 I. Objectives Unit Objective At the completion of this unit, you will be able to explain the rationale for canine foundation training and the advanced skills necessary for a canine to effectively search in a disaster environment. Enabling Objectives You will: Explain the importance of exposing canine to varied disaster scenarios; Describe the importance of the handler being knowledgeable in search strategy and scenting conditions; and Identify and solve problems that develop in disaster search scenarios. II. Introduction Disaster search canines will be exposed to a variety of search environments. The canine must remain focused on his or her task in distracting and unnatural conditions. A carefully planned training program will give the team experience in various types of search sites and scenarios. This will also help lessen canine and handler stress and improve the team s effectiveness on an actual disaster mission. Training in diverse environments also enables the handler to learn search strategies that maximize the effectiveness of the canine. It is the handler s responsibility to develop a systematic approach to searching an assigned area that utilizes the unique capabilities of the canine to the best advantage. Let us take a look at the search scenarios we may encounter. III. Search Scenarios Examples of the disaster environments the team may encounter in a disaster are: Rubble reinforced concrete with exposed rebar, pancaked collapse formations, dust, glass, unstable footing, slick surfaces, voids, unusual scent patterns, HAZMAT, and cadavers; Buildings glass, unstable footing, voids, room-to-room, unusual scent patterns, heights, HAZMAT, and cadavers; Trailer parks limited access through small openings, sharp metal, glass, food, sewage, and flash floods; Brush limited visibility between handler and canine, hidden power lines and other utilities, downed trees and vegetation, and flash floods; November 2006 SM Unit 8-3

4 This course primarily utilizes rubble to train the handler and the canine because rubble is the most easily created and realistic scenario that incorporates many of the elements that are present in a disaster. The rubble provides an unnatural environment that should be incorporated into the canine s training. It is advantageous for the team to be exposed to other unusual search environments, as well. Rubble pile sites are often difficult to obtain. Additionally, canines quickly become familiar with hiding places if the rubble is not frequently rearranged. Think outside the box It is important that handlers identify and utilize unusual training sites in their community throughout the canine s progressive training program. These may include: Junk yards, Lumber yards, Construction sites, Heavy equipment storage areas, and Demolished and abandoned buildings. It is time to discuss the skills required to do the job. IV. Required Skills We will look at the skills required of the: Handler, Helper, Safety Officer and Spotter, and Canine. Handler Skills A handler should possess the following skills: Able to travel safely across uneven and unstable surfaces (agility). Able to creatively design a training program and props that simulate a disaster. Aware of the possible hazards to canine or self. Knowledge of effective search strategy and patterns. Aware of scenting conditions. Debrief and document accurately. IG Unit 8-4 November 2006

5 Helper Skills A helper should possess the following skills: Able to travel safely across uneven and unstable surfaces (agility). Aware of possible hazards to canine or self. Understands the reward system used for each individual canine. Understands the goal of the exercise. Able to hide in confined spaces for extended periods of time. Safety Officer and Spotters Skills The Safety Officer and spotters should possess the following skills: Canine Skills Able to ensure the canine s safety when working out of sight of the handler. Able to ensure the helpers safety. Able to recognize change of behavior and trained bark alert of the canines on their teams. This will assist the handler in pinpointing the location of the subject. Able to accurately report the working behavior of the canine to the handler for use in developing future training objectives. A canine should possess the following skills: Strong foundation in agility skills. Independence. Reward driven. Solid nerve strength. A strong work ethic. Willing to work out of sight of handler. More canine skills include the: Ability to ignore distractions such as other animals, food, people, noise, cadaver, and clothing; Ability to be directed to search specific areas; Possession of an independent focused bark alert indicating live human scent; and Willingness to work in new environments under stressful situations. November 2006 SM Unit 8-5

6 V. Working in Rubble Training Considerations Considerations for any disaster scenario and application to a field practice should include: Search area, Safety, Stability of structure, Rest area(s), Observation area, Wind direction and scent patterns, and Access point. Examples of search considerations The search area. Safety considerations. The stability of the structure. Rest area(s) and rehabilitation. Helper Placement Considerations In determining the placement of a helper during field practice, consider the: Depth at which the helper is to be buried; Material used to conceal helper; Wind direction; Scenting conditions; Ease of giving canine reward (if applicable); Distance canine must cover before reaching the helper; Level of experience of canine; Ability to completely conceal helper from canine s view; and Ability to assure canine cannot get into helper. Train to Reality IG Unit 8-6 November 2006

7 VI. Progression of Training The training program is designed to acclimate a canine to searching through rubble needs to be gradual and geared to the canine s ability as the canine acquires skills and confidence in this unnatural search environment. At all levels of training, the canine should frequently have easy, motivational search problems and good rewards. Rewards should come from the helper and always should be as near to the scent source as possible. Training Levels The canine s progress should be assessed and documented. The canine should be consistently performing correctly at one level before advancing to the next. The training levels are as follows: Canine comfortable and agile. Visual and immediate. Visual and delayed. No visual, handler knows location. No visual, handler does not know location. Canine cannot be rewarded by helper. Canine searches negative pile. All of the above with handler access. VII. Stages of Rubble Training The stages of rubble training are as follows: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. We will take a close look at each level. Beginning Level At the Beginning Level: The handler knows the helper s location; The alert prop is at the edge of the site; The alert prop is moved into the site; Runaways, pop ups, and reward come from the helper; The adding of a search element in the site; and November 2006 SM Unit 8-7

8 The helper hides in the rubble instead of the alert prop resulting in varied scent emissions. Intermediate Level The Intermediate Level involves the following: The helper s location is unknown to the handler; Cold shots; Distractions; Inaccessible, totally concealed victims; Longer searches; and Variable reward from the helper and the handler. Advanced Level The advanced level involves the following: Longer searches, Multiple victims, Overlapping scent, Deep victims, Diffuse scent, Handler reward, Distractions, Multiple search sites, and Blank search sites. Longer Searches Set up multiple search areas with short break between sites. Use multi-story buildings with blank floors. Set up larger search areas so dog and handler increase stamina, strategy, work ethic. Multiple Victims Use motivation for a clear send off. Pop up (visual). Call out (no visual). Scent cone (no cue). Reward on the first bark. IG Unit 8-8 November 2006

9 Overlapping Scent Use motivation. Reward on first bark. Clear and successful. Deep Separate deep and diffuse. Use motivation. Shorten distance-take out the search. Reinforce any sound at first dog must not leave (whine). Shape into strong alert. Consider props off the pile. Diffuse Use motivation. Shorten distance-take out search. Reinforce any sound at first dog must not leave (whine). Shape into strong alert. Consider props off the pile. Remember Dogs learn by repetition. Do not reward a bad sequence. If the exercise goes bad ABORT. Practice does not make perfect PERFECT Practice Makes Perfect. Introduce Handler Reward Toss the reward in front of the dog while the helper gives verbal motivation. Practice smooth delivery without the dog. The dog s focus must remain on the alert location. Use sparingly the dog must always think the reward is coming from the victim! Multiple Search Sites Set up several areas for the dog to search. You can use multiple floors in vacant buildings. November 2006 SM Unit 8-9

10 Have helpers placed in all sites at the beginning vary the number. Set up the harder sent problems to be searched first. Blank Search Sites Incorporate blank sites in the multiple sites. Reinforce the dog for searching at the end of search. First, insert blank sites in the middle of the multiple sites (begin with a find and end with a find). Progress to more than one blank, sometimes at the beginning and/or end of the multiple search sites, or as a stand-alone search. Note: Handlers need to reward their dog for blank finds. Rewards can come in the form of verbal praise or petting, but not with their reward article. VIII. Troubleshooting Canine is uncomfortable working on rubble Ensure that canine s agility foundation is solid Identify potential weaknesses and train to eliminate them Note: It is not advised you throw a reward on the pile, but tugging is acceptable. Canine does not maintain focus when encountering distractions on the rubble pile. Remove the distractions from the rubble pile. Practice using the same distraction at the bark alert prop on the ground. When this is solid, try working an alert hole in the rubble. Canine does not search rubble independently of handler This may occur because the canine is handler-dependent and not secure working out of the handler s sight, or this behavior may have inadvertently been imprinted in canine during alert training. In either case, the canine must become comfortable working away from the presence of the handler and must become focused on the helper. It is a problem that should be addressed away from the rubble pile, as well as in the rubble. Solutions to build independence and confidence in the canine are: Assess the reward system being used. Ensure that the reward is truly motivating the canine to find. Experienced helpers should assure the canine has a well-timed and good reward. IG Unit 8-10 November 2006

11 The helper should give the reward, and the handler should remain quiet while the canine is working and being rewarded. The bark alert prop can be placed out of sight of the handler (around the corner of a building), or the handler can step behind a barrier after sending canine. Initially, the helper can call out to canine to provide motivation for canine to leave handler s sight. However, after calling out to canine, helper should remain silent until canine independently initiates bark alert. Helper is motivating the canine to search and should not cue the canine to alert. Incorporate building search work into training program. Doing so enables the canine to work room to room out of sight of the handler. Incrementally increase the distance from which the canine is started from the hiding place. In rubble, do the following in one training sequence: Using the same hiding place and helper, handler starts canine in rubble from a short distance. After helper rewards canine, handler moves back and sends canine one or two more times from increasingly farther distance. IX. Distractions Distractions If a problem with distractions is encountered, try the following remedies: Go back to the alert barrel. Use helper motivation. Shorten the distance. Contain all of the distractions. Start with distractions by handler. Give a quick reward. Working with Distractions Identify issues a canine may have with the following: Noise, Smoke, Food distractions, Animal distractions, Unstable or slippery surfaces, November 2006 SM Unit 8-11

12 Other people working in the area, and Ability to maintain focus on the task. X. Disaster Search in Rubble Demonstration The instructors will use this demonstration to demonstrate the teaching, assessment, and enhancement of the combined foundation skills so that the canine team is an effective search tool on the rubble. IG Unit 8-12 November 2006

13 Disaster Search in Rubble Demonstration Unit 8: Advanced Rubble Search Time: 30 minutes Purpose: To have you observe a demonstration of the teaching, assessment, and enhancement of the combined foundation skills that the canine team uses to become an effective search tool on the rubble. Directions: The demonstration will include the following: Discussion of the importance of having and utilizing all personal protective equipment for disaster search, including all needed equipment for care and support of the canine; The use of incremental training steps to build confidence and competence at all stages of disaster search; The importance of ensuring success by accurately assessing canine s level of readiness for each problem presented; The criticality of practicing helper skills and good timing for rewards; The need to practice handler skills in fielding (sending), supporting and accessing canine and subject; and Practice building marking, search marking, and mapping skills. November 2006 SM Unit 8-13

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15 Advanced Rubble Search Field Exercises Unit 8: Advanced Rubble Search Time: 3 hours Purpose: To have you perform the teaching, assessment, and enhancement of the combined foundation skills that the canine team uses to become an effective search tool on the rubble. Directions: The class will be divided into six teams (10-12 students per team). The field exercises will take place at three field stations. November 2006 SM Unit 8-15

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17 XI. Unit Summary and Evaluation Unit Summary The unit s enabling objectives were: Explain the importance of exposing canine to varied disaster scenarios; Describe the importance of the handler being knowledgeable in search strategy and scenting conditions; and Identify and solve problems that develop in disaster search scenarios. Unit Evaluation Please fill out the evaluation on this unit. November 2006 SM Unit 8-17

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