To the rescue
The women are dressed in matching orange shirts to coordinate with vests that adorn their dogs.
Color-conscious? Yes. But not concerned with fashion and footwear unless they're comparing hiking boots.
"Whenever I get these clothes on, my dogs are dancing around me," said Cindy Braden of Sarver, affirming that importance of apparel, even while playing with dogs in the woods.
Braden is the regional coordinator for C.A.E.S.A.R. Southwest, one of two canine search-and-rescue groups that work in Butler County.
Recognizing the training gear confirms Braden's dogs anticipate their job. Their barking conveys they enjoy the work.
As far as accessories go, hats and gloves play a vital role, usually in hide-and-seek games used to hone tracking and trailing skills.
Introduced as scent articles, the personal items are necessary in finding missing people like hikers who lose their way or children or Alzheimer's patients who wander away from safety.
As well as specializing in tracking and trailing, some SAR dogs search for cadavers.
During a recent C.A.E.S.A.R. training session at the Markman game lands in Marshall Township, Braden's dog Taz worked toward cadaver certification, using his air-scenting skills to find part of a placenta contained in a jar with a perforated lid.
In the absence of donated placenta, cadaver teams also buy human bone fragments sold specifically for training.
As part of the repetitive "games," SAR dogs are challenged to find the human or cadaver. With the handler following behind, the dog starts out sniffing the ground or the air, depending on its aptitude and training.
Like other SAR dogs, air scenters begin their training instructed to follow the victim's footpath. Eventually, some begin to stray from the path, arriving at the victim by shortcut.Distance to the victim's hiding place and age of the scent trail vary greatly, depending on each dog's experience and skill level.Whatever their designated path, most dogs learn to return to their handlers, conveying the find with a sit or a bark.The handler's response is "Show me."To cultivate "victim loyalty" — the assurance a dog will always lead his handler back to its find — volunteer victims are standing by with a coveted reward."There's always a big party at the victim," Braden said of the praise and reward.As with many training methods, the rewards depend on the dog."Some dogs are ball-driven. Some dogs are food-driven. Some dogs are just praise-driven," said Braden. "Everything's geared toward that individual dog."In early training, two-way radios allow the victim to alert the handler a find was successful. Handlers then observe the dog's body language and demeanor after success."You can tell in their stride and their facial expressions," Braden said. "They actually have a purpose."Once you get to know your dog, you can tell they found the victim. ... Every dog has a different look on their face, but they all have the same purposeful stride."Although retrievers and herding dogs are prevalent in search and rescue, both groups say the breeds can vary.Connie Keith of New Galilee, Lawrence County, who belongs to New Castle-based K-9 S.O.S., was training with two massive Newfoundlands last week at McConnells Mill State Park, where many rescue calls originate.Other members of the group, Kathy Ferrara of Brookfield, Ohio, and Lauri Johnson of Slippery Rock Township, both were on-site with shepherds.After Braden's Labrador retriever, Jack, died prematurely of liver cancer, she rescued Taz, a mixed-breed dog, with the goal of training him for search and rescue."We look for any type of dog that is very anxious to please their handler," Braden said, listing energy, drive and a playful spirit among the necessary traits."You want to look for prey drive and play drive," agreed Ferrara, president of K-9 S.O.S. Ferrara also said agility and a well socialized personality are important traits.Most SAR dogs carry canine obedience or canine good citizen credentials, an assurance to victims and emergency responders the dogs present no threat.
In many cases, handlers chose pups with rescue in mind, evaluating the litters themselves or seeking help from more seasoned trainers.In the end, some dogs lose interest in "the game," becoming distracted before their victim is found. Those dogs don't become certified.Those who do sometimes assist fire and police departments in finding cadavers and missing people. The groups do not assist in crime investigations.C.A.E.S.A.R., or Canine Assisted Emergency Search and Rescue, consists of about eight handlers, with dogs in various stages of training.The group unites for practice drills at least twice weekly. The handlers hail from multiple counties, meeting in all weather. Locations also vary, allowing dogs to experience things like helicopters, boat motors, bridges and bleachers.The drills help certified dogs maintain and improve skills and provide training for dogs not yet certified.Although multiple certifying agencies exist, C.A.E.S.A.R. uses two groups: International Police Work Dog Association (IPWDA) and the National Police Work Dog Assocation (NPWDA).In those groups, candidates for certification must be at least 18 months old. To avoid ethical discrepancies, the master trainers who test the dogs receive no compensation — volunteering their time like the SAR dog handlers.K-9 S.O.S. uses a group called the Ohio Federation of K9 Search Teams, which has no age requirement.Aside from ongoing group training, handlers attend many formal seminars, often hosted out of state.They also undergo background checks and receive training in first aid, CPR, ham-radio operation and various outdoor skills."When I started doing this I thought it was out in the woods running with my dog. Silly me," Braden said."There's a whole lot more to it than that — a whole lot of education involved.Although groups sometimes procure grants, many travel and equipment costs are paid by the handlers themselves. Equipment includes anything from dog vests, lights, winter gear to GPS systems, whose uses include comparing a dog's search route to that of the volunteer victim.When not volunteering for searches, SAR groups offer presentations to civic groups, scout groups and the public. When possible, they also like to educate police and fire departments, likely to request their help.The SAR groups also are contacted through emergency dispatch agencies.
Although this year's calls for assistance are hovering in the 20s, Braden said C.A.E.S.A.R. usually averages more than 50 calls annually in a 13-county area. Ferrara said the three teams that comprise K-9 S.O.S. receive 12 to 15 calls a year.Trooper Ronald Kesten, public information officer for the Pennsylvania State Police in Butler Township, said the police sometimes call upon SAR volunteers after exhausting internal resources."We've used them on occasion for cadavers, looking for missing people," Kester said. "They've been a big help in certain instances."Lt. David Barry, president of the Herman Volunteer Fire Department, said his group also has worked with local SAR groups."It's amazing what these dogs can do," he said. "I wouldn't hesitate at all to call on those teams to help with a search."Although happy endings occur when lost people are found, suicides and water accidents also necessitate a search."In a lot of suicide cases we usually know that (and) in any type of boating or swimming accident, we're pretty sure of what we're heading into," Braden said."You and your dog do the best you can do, and you just deal with it," she added."The end result is helping somebody and reuniting somebody back with their family or putting an end to a family wondering what's happened to their loved one."It's finding that lost person," she added "That's why I do it."For more information, go to http://www.caesarinc.org/ or k9sosinc.org.
