SLO County Sheriff's Department K-9 Search and Rescue
by Lynne Harkins
The Search and Rescue unit of the Sheriff's Department is the largest specialized unit in the Department and is a 100 percent volunteer effort. As part of SLOSAR (SLO County Sheriff's Search and Rescue),the K9 Search and Rescue (SAR) Team is a remarkable element which offers vital capabilities through the partnerships of the dogs and their handlers. Women and men, with their dogs, gladly devote countless hours to acquire and maintain readiness in search and rescue skills that can be life-saving when emergencies happen.
When Sue Aldridge recently made a reference to her first search and rescue call, something came into her voice that let you know she was talking about a special, deeply-valued memory. "It was the middle of the night and the search was in Montana de Oro, so we did some climbing ", she recalled. "We ended up on Valencia Peak at dawn and it was so beautiful. That was before I had Jackson."
Much has happened since then. Jackson, Sue's lively Golden Retriever, is now almost eight years old and a seasoned search and rescue dog. Sue's life has been steeped in his training and care as both of them have worked long and hard at the lessons of search and rescue.
Though Sue had been earlier engaged in volunteering for local, general emergency response efforts, she knew she wanted to get into working with a dog. It hadn't been immediately clear how to do that if one wasn't already employed in some public safety agency. Her search for how to get into K9 Search and Rescue led her to a SLO County Sheriff's Day gathering. Sue describes it as a gift when there, amongst all the agencies, she saw a group of people in orange. They had a couple of dogs with them.
"I asked a lot of questions about what was involved and what I needed to do to join search and rescue. We exchanged contact information and eventually, with the guidance and sponsorship of the very experienced K9 Team Leader, I went through the probationary process in SLOSAR. I became a full member in 2006, while at the same time training as an apprentice dog handler with CARDA (California Rescue Dog Association) and achieving Mission Ready status in 2007."
Mission Ready status, however, is apparently just a beginning. Training and practice are on-going commitments for K9 SAR team members. There is at least one team training a week in an array of changing locations throughout the county. This not only keeps skills sharp, but it's a source of enjoyment for the dogs and their handlers. It's a very serious form of play which the dogs especially love to do! Sue affirms that "There really isn't a whole lot of time for anything else in your life when you're involved in K9 SAR. That's okay, because for those of us who love the work, it's time well spent."
In mid -November, some of the K9 SAR team members met at Camp Ocean Pines in Cambria for some training. Dogs and handlers greeted each other and then, as is their routine, they did some basic obedience reinforcing activities. The first two dogs pictured are young and at entry-level stages of training. The experienced collie in the video below and her handler travel to do search and rescue all over the state.
After the group did the short obedience activities, the handlers and their dogs took turns searching out a volunteer, who was well concealed towards the back of the Camp Ocean Pines property. Sue and Jackson headed out first for their turn doing this training exercise.
Jackson was briskly on-task and successful in finding the "missing person" in fairly short order. After finding a subject, he must go right back to
Sue and then show her where the person is. That's quite a challenging part of early training. Jackson gets a special yellow ring toy he loves to play with as a reward. In addition to intelligence, having such a strong sense of play is a very important motivational characteristic of a search dog.
Jackson then demonstrated that he knows how to celebrate and relax after a search. It was also an unseasonably warm day, so he got a bit heated up. In the end, however, Jackson found a great way to cool down — lying in a puddle!
The K9 Search and Rescue team is one of eight SLOSAR Specialty Teams. Any or all of them, depending on needs, could be called upon to assist in a search and rescue operation. Below is a summary of each team's focus:
San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Unit
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Unit (SLOSAR) is a team of dedicated, professional volunteers from a variety of backgrounds, united in the purpose of serving the citizens of San Luis Obispo County.
SLOSAR is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for search and rescue missions within the county. Missions include searching for missing persons, assisting law enforcement officers with evacuations, and searching for evidence in a crime. The unit is also available to provide mutual aid to other agencies and counties in need of assistance, and is a vital part of the San Luis Obispo County's Emergency Operations Plan.
If you are a highly motivated individual who enjoys the outdoors and wants to serve your community, SLOSAR may be for you.
SLOSAR Specialty Teams
While all unit members work together to accomplish the goal of finding a missing person, the unit is made up of a number of different specialty teams.
Ground Team: Members are proficient in search skills, land navigation, GPS, map and compass, man-tracking, and wilderness survival. All SLOSAR are Ground Team members and use these essential skills to form the backbone of the unit.
Medical Team: Members hold a minimum certification of Emergency Medical Technician – Basic (EMT-B). The team's primary responsibility is providing medical care for SLOSAR members and for the citizens of San Luis Obispo County who are in need.
Communication Team: Members maintain and operate unit communications equipment. They provide the vital communications link between search command and field personnel.
ATV & Vehicle Team: Members are experienced off-roaders, using their skills to search for missing people and move personnel and equipment during an operation. Members use their personal vehicles and unit's ATVs.
K9 Team: Members and their K9 partners are CA State certified in area/air scent, trailing, and cadaver/human remains detection. Additionally, members are affiliated with the California Rescue Dog Association (CARDA). They maintain a demanding training regimen and are available as a mutual aid resource for state-wide missions.
Technical Rescue Team: Members are trained in low and high angle rope rescue techniques and provide services that require technical expertise in controlled horizontal and vertical access and egress, including victim evacuation.
Mountain Bike Team: Members are proficient in off-road travel and provide quick coverage of search areas in both wilderness and urban environments. Additionally, they also provide support with patrol/containment of roads and trails, delivery of supplies, and expediting emergency medical support.
This past summer, Sue took another step in her SLOSAR journey as she was elected by the membership to the Board of Directors for San Luis Obispo Search and Rescue for a two year term. As the personnel officer, her focus is on new applicants and the process that begins with the interview and continues through the year-long probationary period, plus overseeing a mentor program that provides guidance through this period.The following statement concludes the welcome section of the probationary member packet and, in a way, Sue believes it says it all:
"Membership in SLOSAR is demanding because we must train to maintain our state of readiness and must operate in conditions that are sometimes difficult. But most importantly, membership is rewarding because we assist people who are in need of our unique skills . . . so that others may live." ("So that others may live." is the slogan of the National Association of Search and Rescue).
As a measure of just how demanding membership in SLOSAR is, there is this to consider. Each year, as an annual fitness requirement for SLOSAR, handlers must put on a 20lb pack and cover a timed eight mile hiking course. That's in addition to all the miles that handlers already cover in walking with their energetic dogs.
Then there are the demands of time. Sue got Jackson in early 2005 when he was an eight week old puppy. Then began the laser-like focus
on the steps toward becoming certified for search and rescue.They started training together when he was just twelve weeks old. They began testing with CARDA (California Rescue Dog Association)when he was two years old, achieving "mission ready" status in October 2007. All this while Sue maintained her business, Aldridge Design in Cambria.
After being active in SAR through 2008, Jackson had to have two knee surgeries; one right after the other, with a six month recovery period for each. He was out of SAR for a year, but he came through the surgeries and recoveries with Sue's care and with his typical high spirits. Sue thinks he is more focused than ever on his search and rescue work since he has returned to active service on the K9 SAR Team. She is certainly happy to see him doing so well, doing the things they love to do together. The rewards it seems of volunteering in search and rescue provide
a balance for the many demands!
The people of San Luis Obispo County are indeed fortunate to have such a dedicated K9 SAR Team working in concert with
the other dedicated volunteer SAR Teams. The community is enriched by their caring work.
To conclude, it is both an inspiration and a pleasure to see a little into the world of the wonder dogs of SAR and their devoted handlers.
During an off-duty walk when Jackson and Sue were playing together, Sue told a great story about Jackson eating a banana-
the only thing left after an all night search. They got through it ,though, and Jackson found the missing man.
Yes, these two, one feels sure, can get through just about anything together.
A wonderful team! A woman and a dog playing and working together and sharing the strength of their bond to help others in need.
