Missing persons in disaster areas

In addition to specialization in searching for drowned persons, SSD has acquired expertise in searching for people in and under rubble.

SSD deploys its dogs abroad on many occasions and has gained valuable experience in this way.

Deployment in Morocco

For example, SSD deployed its dogs and handlers after the tornado ‘Luis’ on St. Martin (1995), the earthquake in Turkey (1999), the earthquake in Morocco (2004) and previous year after the large natural disaster the ‘ Tsunami ’ (dec. 2004) and the Hurricane Kathrina (august 2005) and the earthquake in Pakistan (September 2005) and the earthquake in China (may 2008). 

 Training

The SSD dogs and handlers are trained in buildings that are being demolished. Use is also made of comparable conditions such as rubble processing sites, empty buildings, ‘disaster villages’ and so on.

The dog is rewarded with a ball; food rewards are avoided (Pakistan 2005).

Both dog and handler learn to function independently during searches.

A major item of training is that the dogs learn to work to the scent and mark it clearly even if the handler cannot enter the area.

Supportive theory ensures that the handlers themselves, too, gain insight in the nature of their work.

Persons still alive or already dead

SSD distinguishes in the way the dogs mark dead or still living persons. SSD has dogs that mark living persons exclusively, dogs that mark only dead persons, and dogs that mark both, and do so in a differentiated style.

This makes it possible to recover living persons first.

A dog will always want to find a living persons first, because the reward is greater and more direct.