K-9 Team
K9’s are used for their superior sense of smell, which is thousands or millions of times more sensitive than humans. K9’s can also maneuver through rugged terrain more efficiently than humans can. Our K9’s locate missing or lost subjects using three different techniques. Some dogs are trained in air scenting, where they smell a person’s scent as it is carried through the air by breeze or wind. Some focus on trailing, where they smell a person’s scent that they left behind on the ground. Others specialize in picking up the scent of human remains or scents of human decomposition.
Boots on the Ground Team
Provides eyes, ears, and boots on the ground for anything that may happen while searching, locating, rendering aid and extraction of a lost and/or injured person. The ground team is trained in land navigation (with experience using a map and compass), crime scene awareness preservation, cultural sensitivity, radio communication, victim advocacy, GPS and basic first aid. They are trained in lost person behavior which gives searchers insight on behaviors of lost people, for example people with Alzheimer’s, Dementia, kids with Autism to name a few.
Incident Base Team
Incident base is the center of all search and rescue operations. It is where planning, search strategy, record keeping, communications, SAR Topo mapping, scribing, keeping track of teams in the field, navigating and lost person behavior all come together and operate under the ICS (Incident Command System).
Drone Unit (UAV)
Unmanned Aircraft Systems are used to operate search and rescue missions, a remote pilot certificate is required. UAVs provide the ability to easily cover large areas in a fraction of the time ground-based assets would need, freeing up valuable resources for other areas. UAVs are extremely portable, giving search teams in the field the ability to check difficult or impassable terrain thus reducing the risk to searches.
ATV Team
ATV’s can cover a great deal of terrain quickly, shuttle personnel to and from search areas, and provide support to our ground and dog teams. An advantage with ATV’s is they can quickly assess a large area or can study the ground for possible signs of tracks quickly.
Here are the services 4Corners K-9 Search and Rescue offers:
- K-9 Search Team
- Boots on the Ground Team
- Drone Team
- Incident Base Team
Others Services:
School Presentations
We are committed to educating students about how volunteering can be a fantastic way to help your community by helping you obtain volunteer hours, developing new skills and making new friends. We educate on how K9’s work, why people go missing, how volunteer work can lead to future jobs, and you get the opportunity to meet our K-9’s. If you would like to assist in training our K-9’s by hiding from them, please reach out to us on our Contact Us tab.
Community Presentations
We are committed to educating the public and communities about how K-9 search and rescue works, what to do when someone goes missing and we can provide SAR training. We are also looking for help in training our K-9’s by having people hide for them, if interested please reach out to us. If you would like us to attend an event or give a presentation, please make your request on the Contact Us tab.
Join the Team
Becoming a part of our team means joining a team of individuals committed to serving the community with a high degree of professionalism. If you are looking for an opportunity to serve your local community we may be the perfect fit for you. If you’re interested in growth, teamwork and making a difference then look no further. We encourage and empower our team members to be the best they can be in their commitment to our mission.
You can join as a volunteer or become a certified team member. Volunteers are those who do not want to become certified team members and will assist with food/drink preparations for searches, fundraising, paperwork, signing in/out volunteers and equipment check in/out.
Certified team members are required to complete their FEMA 100/200, pass the NASAR SARTECH III Certification, complete a equipment/pack checklist, complete additional training in radio communications, lost person behavior, first aid, maps and compass, GPS/Navigation, search theory, Incident command, crime scene preservation, tracking, working with K-9’s, cultural sensitivity and survival skills. Please fill out the form on the Contact Us tab for more information.