The Social Network & Community JUST for Firefighters
Canines to the Rescue, Part 2
Canines to the Rescue, Part 2
Requirements for fielding K-9 teams in the fire & rescue services
By Brett Martinez
Note: This article is the second in a series of articles on canines in the fire and rescue services. Be sure to read Part 1, "Canines in the fire and rescue services."
The following recommended elements should be included in any standard fire/rescue K-9 team. These elements are by no means based on scientific findings or any university study. They are instead based on personnel knowledge and recommendations from handlers involved in most of the K-9 team disciplines within the fire/rescue services.
To further these findings, local law enforcement K-9 handlers confirmed they had similar recommendations, or common denominators, for their standard K-9 teams.
The Top 2 Recommendations
The single most important denominator in a K-9 team: a K-9 handler who enjoys working with animals. Because handlers will be around their canine partner 24/7, as well as other K-9 teams, it’s critical that all handlers are willing to work around and assist with a variety of canines.
The second most important common denominator, which is directly related to the first, is motivation. If individuals aren’t willing to pitch in, work extra hours and put in the extra effort required in this discipline, this isn’t the job for them.
A good K-9 handler knows that they must be able to fully rely on their partner and that their canine relies on them 24/7. The canine therefore needs to be in top shape, both physically and mentally. These animals aren’t pets, they’re a highly sensitive tool that must be ready to deploy anytime, anywhere. As a result, the handler must understand that they need to constantly maintain the health and wellbeing of the canine, which does require extra effort on the handler’s part.
A Positive Attitude
A positive attitude is necessary when working with canines. Having a positive attitude isn’t the same as being motivated. These animals can sense a negative attitude or negative emotion, such as frustration and anger, which will affect their performance.
The canine field has a saying: “Poop flows down the leash.” This is similar to the computer industry phrase: “Bad data in equals bad data out.” The same is true with canines. Unlike some law-enforcement K-9 teams, our K-9 teams are required to search in hostile environments or work with large crowds while maintaining a positive attitude. Aggression, fear or depression expressed or felt by the handler will be sensed by the canine and possibly translated to them. Individuals must therefore maintain a positive attitude regardless of the situation or environment.
Physical Condition
Good physical condition is required of both canine and handler. Although the handler doesn’t need to be an Olympic athlete, they will be required to keep up with their partner. This means they may be required to pick up and carry their partner around or over harmful surfaces, as well as up and down ladders. One way to gauge the physical condition of handlers is to make sure they meet the jurisdiction’s physical fitness requirements for interior firefighters.
The canine must also be in good physical shape. All working dogs must be physically fit with few or no physical flaws. All canines will be expected to work under less-than- perfect conditions; some will be expected to produce in extremely hostile environments. A good veterinary medical check-up, along with the completion of some simple agility drills, will help determine the canine’s ability to work in the required discipline. Tip: If you’re unsure about your canine’s ability, look at other canines currently deployed in your discipline of interest to determine which physical features are of the highest priority.
Agility tests will also confirm the canine’s mobility level. If the canine isn’t mobile enough to maneuver during test conditions, they won’t be able to perform necessary tasks on scene, no matter their other attributes.
Canine Inquisitiveness, Drive & Endurance
Is your canine inquisitive? This attribute can help determine whether the dog will be interested in search and detection work required for the job. To test for this attribute, simply take an item, such as car keys on a chain or a toy, and shake it. If the canine immediately focuses on the item, then it has an acceptable level of inquisitiveness.
Once the inquisitiveness of the dog is established, you must determine their drive. Some searches may be completed in a few minutes, while others may last several hours. Possessing a drive for rooting out an odor is essential because tracking or rooting may require the canine to swim or crawl through small voids.
Inquisitiveness and drive will play direct roles in the canine’s level of endurance. To test the canine’s drive, take the keys or the toy as mentioned above and toss it under or over a substantial object (such as a large chair or vehicle) and watch to see if the canine is willing to climb under or over the object to get to the item. An acceptable canine will make every effort to get to that item and will continue to make the effort to investigate. If the animal is unwilling to investigate or gives up quickly, it most likely won’t make a good working dog for the fire/rescue services.
Fearlessness & Trust
A canine’s temperament is paramount to their success in a K-9 team, specifically their level of fearlessness. Fire/rescue canines, unlike their police canine comrades, aren’t required to protect and defend; therefore, aggressive behavior should not occur during deployments. Fire/rescue canines must possess a temperament that allows them to continue to work no matter the noise, bright lights, masses of people and/or additional odors present.
Canines must also trust their handler. They must know that wherever the handler leads them, they will be OK regardless of the canine’s instincts, which may tell them otherwise.
Trust is not easily gauged on the first encounter, but bonding is. Note: Handlers who’ve established a bond with their canine shouldn’t allow an emotional bond to overwhelm their need to determine trust.
One of the best ways to determine trust is by working with the animal on lead, allowing it to follow you up and down open stairs or through a narrow pipe. Picking up and carrying the canine will also help to build trust.
Ability to Learn
The final recommendation, or common denominator, that should be included in a standard fire/rescue K-9 team is the ability to learn quickly, which allows for more skills and techniques to be covered during the limited preliminary training.
Learning quickly is also referred to as adaptability, which allows the K-9 team to overcome many unforeseen problems that they’ll face during various disasters.
Most of the breeds known to possess the common denominators and attributes described above are already at the top of the canine list. This is why certain breeds are more popular with fire/rescue disciplines than other domestic breeds. Currently, the most popular breeds that meet these attributes can expect to serve or remain “on the job” for 7 to 8 years and retire around 9 or 10 years old.
Training Programs
When choosing a training program or method, it’s important to remember that, regardless of the required formal training, in-service training must occur regularly throughout the K-9 team’s career. But no one can operate alone or in a vacuum; therefore, all canine programs should include a great support network. You’ll need assistance setting up training scenarios, blind tests and in-service evaluations. Well-established programs have networks of fellow handlers, trainers and specialists (veterinarians and forensic scientists) who have years of valuable experience within that specific K-9 search discipline. Having access to that network will be critical not only during the team’s first years, but throughout the team’s career.
Canine training programs must also mandate annual or regular recertification. Any K-9 team deployed in the field that does not regularly undergo peer review will begin to develop unforeseen habits or “tells.” The term “tell” is used by card players to explain an opponent’s physical movement or action that indicates a consistent pattern of play. These involuntary moves or actions can “tell” the opposing player how to react or defeat their opponent. Without peer review, under work conditions, handlers will develop “tells” that canines will queue into and react to with negative search results in real-life conditions.
Canines in general are not dumb animals, but the canines used in fire/rescue services are
highly motivated with above-average intelligence levels. As such, they will quickly identify tells and begin to predict the handler’s next move. Individuals unfamiliar with this ability of the canine may assume that, over time, the canine has advanced and that their sense of smell (olfactory ability) has improved annually; however, like humans, animals’ senses weaken as they age, so regular testing by experienced trainers is necessary to quickly identify any “tell”-like behavior.
To become familiar with the detection abilities of canines in general, decision makers should visit potential training programs. Rather than judging one specific canine, it’s best to watch multiple K-9 teams during in-service training or re-certification testing. Only then can canine handlers begin to understand what detection canines bring to our tool box.
Sticker Shock
The issue of cost will always be on the list of concerns when choosing a training program and will continue to be so for any K-9 team. Cost varies between programs, but when all of the necessary expenses are factored in, the estimated cost totals about $41,273.
For those suffering from “sticker shock” right now, here’s a general breakdown of expenses:
• Training: It’s widely recognized that the average cost of training and certifying a legitimate K-9 team equals approximately $30,000 (as verified by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms K-9 Training Branch and the Suffolk County Police K-9 Unit). These expenses consist of finding and evaluating the proper dog ($2,000 to $5,000); conducting a thorough medical exam; odor imprinting; classroom training for the handler; field exercise training for the handler and the dog; certification tests and field visits (check-backs) by trainers verifying proper team deployment; and housing and travel for handlers and canines. Agencies may absorb all or just some of these expenses, depending on the availability of grants and of the specific search discipline; some disciplines require additional expenses such as K-9 supplies (leashes, collars, toys, brushes, weight scales and official documents), estimated at $400.
• Annual expenses: Food is approximately $400, while veterinary visits and medication will cost approximately $480. Additional expenses can include specialized kennels ($250) and vehicle retrofits ($2,000).
• Compensation: This is one of the most overlooked expenses involved in canine programs. Government employees assigned to any K-9 Unit will receive a canine stipend or be compensated (as required under the Fair Standards and Labor Act). This compensation will vary by jurisdiction and could come in the form of direct financial benefit or indirect benefit, such as additional time off to care for and maintain the canine. Currently, the stipend for K-9 teams in Suffolk County equals 8 percent of base pay per K-9 team.
• Re-certification: Regardless of a formal or informal program, regular re-certification will be necessary to be considered a viable K-9 Unit. The estimated cost for annual re-certification is $1,200, which is incurred predominately through travel and lodging.
Note: The cost for training a K-9 team informally (or on your own) is substantially less without K-9 compensation. Although this may sound more appealing, consider all the issues discussed in this article and the next article in this series on canines before making a final decision.
The estimated financial breakdown for K-9 teams that attend formal training programs versus informal programs is displayed in this table.
Conclusion
Although this article focuses on the expense in time, finance and personnel commitment, it must be pointed out that these requirements are well worth the effort when we consider the benefits of having a highly-skilled, well-trained K-9 team (as discussed in part 1 of this series). K-9 teams will always be a force multiplier, allowing for greater flexibility and greater use of available resources.
Although no price can be placed on a life saved via the aid of a trained K-9 Unit, a price can be placed on a fire that’s determined to be arson. Potential conviction of the arsonist aside, the denial of insurance payment on an arson-for-profit case involving the average residential home is approximately $230,000. Therefore, if an arson detection canine unit worked only one average arson case, the cost-to-benefit would sustain the K-9 program for well over the career of the team. But this is just one example of the overwhelming value provided by all fire/rescue K-9 teams.
Brett Martinez has been certified by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as an accelerant detection canine handler since 1991. He has been a fire marshal with the Suffolk County (N.Y.) Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services for 20 years. He has also been a firefighter with the Hauppauge Fire Department since 1983. Martinez holds a bachelor’s degree in fire science and is a certified peace officer, Level II fire investigator and Level I fire instructor with New York State. He is also the coordinator of the Suffolk County Arson Task Force and a member of the U.S. Attorney’s Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council in New York.
Copyright © Elsevier Inc., a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. SUBSCRIBE to FIRERESCUE
Add a Comment
© 2024 Created by Firefighter Nation WebChief.
Powered by
You need to be a member of My Firefighter Nation to add comments!
Join My Firefighter Nation