Ground Zero makes sure Task Forces in Oklahoma & across the country get a steady supply of highly trained search canines.
First responders are handpicked & paired with a trained Ground Zero canine, then the handler & dog go through rigorous disaster exercises in order to be certified as urban search & rescue partners.
Ground Zero makes sure Task Forces in Oklahoma & across the country get a steady supply of highly trained search canines.
First responders are handpicked & paired with a trained Ground Zero canine, then the handler & dog go through rigorous disaster exercises in order to be certified as urban search & rescue partners.
Only a handful of facilities exist throughout the United States that can prepare both canine and handler for the demands of a search and rescue team’s mission. While most first responders are already highly trained, they require additional preparation, not only in canine search-and-rescue but also in more advanced technical aspects such as structural collapse, heavy rescue, and medical triage. Proper training is crucial when lives are at stake.
Currently Ground Zero has rescue canines paired with handlers from OK-TF1 OKC, OK-TF1 Tulsa, CA-TF5, Chickasaw Nation Emergency, KS-TF1, AZ Air Civil Patrol, Caddo Nation Emergency, CO-TF1, MO-TF1, and KS-TF3.
Tracking canines, handlers and first responders who have completed the Ground Zero training program allow us to keep our finger on the pulse of real-life search and rescue needs. Taskforce members and first responders report the following deployment scenarios in 2019:
