Maggie isn’t the only dog in the Cochrane area using its senses to help its human counterparts — the canines and their handlers at Cochrane Search and Rescue (CSAR) have been busy preparing for the year ahead.
And a busy year it will be. Andy Scott, a member of the volunteer organization, said 2014 would be dedicated to raising public awareness of the group.
“A lot of people don’t even know we exist,” said Scott, who participates CSAR alongside his Labrador retriever, Ben. “But in the event of disaster in Cochrane, we’re the people who pick up the pieces.”
Search and rescue teams work to find, stabilize them and move lost individuals to a safe location.
They train for a variety of scenarios, like wilderness and urban ground search.
The Cochrane group formed in 2001.
The volunteer search and rescue group, which Scott said is made up of about 26 human members and four canine members, currently calls Sunset Ridge’s Firehall 152 home. The dogs are registered with the Canadian Search and Disaster Dogs Association, and Scott said the group is working to have each dog approved by the International Rescue Dog Organization.
This will enable members of CSAR’s team to respond locally, nationally and internationally. Last year, two canine members of CSAR and their handlers travelled to the Philippines to search through the rubble for victims of Typhoon Haiyan.
Cochrane SAR — like other search and rescue groups — is overseen by Alberta’s office of the fire commissioner.
Together, the two groups work to establish training standards that encompass physical and navigational skills.
“Often, SAR is thought of in terms of locating lost individuals,” said Scott. “But the point isn’t about rescuing people from a mountain top — those rescues are about training for real life disasters.”
The organization meets on the second Thursday of each month, along with once a month for training.
Just last week, on Jan. 26, the group ran through some drills in the snow at Burstall Pass — working with avalanche transceivers and body recovery drills with probe poles.
The dogs searched for items and missing people in the snow.
To learn more about CSAR or to donate to the volunteer organization, visit cochranesearchandrescue.org.
