Paw Injuries and Paw Protection in Working Dogs

The December 28, 2013 issue of the Veterinary Tactical Group Newsletter contains an article entitled "Paw Injuries and Paw Protection in Working Dogs," by Dr. Janice Baker, Chief of Veterinary Operations at the Veterinary Tactical Group. Download 5-page article here.

Source: First Response Search Team via Peace River K9 Search & Rescue Association, Inc.

The special challenges of searching for missing alzheimer's subjects

Kimberly R. Kelly Falconer, Founder and Executive Director of Project Far From Home, has put together a great review of some of the special challenges searchers will face when looking for missing alzheimer's subjects.

Entitled Missing at Risk – Understanding and Managing the Search for the Missing Alzheimer’s Subject (Copyright © 2008 by Project Far From Home), her write-up explains the following topics:

• What is Alzheimer’s disease?
• How Is AD Diagnosed?
• Progression of the Disease
• Agnosia
• Agnosia and Driving
• Agnosia and Additional Concerns
• Aphasia
• Apraxia
• Cognitive Mapping
• Sundowning
• Dysphagia
• Wandering
• Family Reporting Incidents of Past Wandering
• Lost in the Labyrinth
• Catastrophic Reaction
• Violence
• Incontinence
• A Death March

Download your copy of this informative, 18-page document here.

Friction considerations when lead climbing

Good info on friction considerations when lead climbing from the Rigging Lab experts at Rescue Response Gear.

• View high-res image here.

How to safely belay and rappel

The British Mountaineering Council and Mountain Leader Training England have published an excellent 6-page leaflet on how to belay and rappel safely.

Entitled Belaying and Abseiling—Get It Right, it addresses some of the most common causes of injuries and fatalities suffered by climbers, hill walkers, and mountaineers, and offers clear, concise ways to avoid them.

PSA: This information would make an excellent public service announcement (PSA) or community outreach program for SAR teams dealing with these types of calls.

Download this informative leaflet here.

The Nov-Dec, 2013 issue of the Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit's "Rescue" magazine is online

The November/December 2013 issue of Rescue, published by the Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit (IMSARU) in Boise, Idaho, has just been uploaded to the Net.

A founding member of the Mountain Rescue Association (MRA), IMSARU has been publishing Rescue since 1962—an impressive 52 years.

IN THIS ISSUE: Check out Jimmie Yorgensen's 3-page mission report on the month-long search for two women at Craters of the Moon National Monument, which involved extremely difficult terrain:

There are thousands of caves and tunnels where a person could have taken shelter and not be seen from the surface, brushy gullies, thin “bridges” of lava that give way under a person’s weight, always unstable footing, and challenging access once searchers left the developed areas.

Read it here.

Innovative Florida SAR unit builds their own drone for search missions

If you're interested in learning more about how drones—or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)—can be used by a SAR team like yours, check out what the Peace River K9 Search & Rescue Association (PRSAR) of Englewood, Florida is up to.

For months, I've been following their progress in building a drone from scratch and it's pretty cool.

They're putting together a multi-mission-capable SAR UAS X81 aerial recon platform equipped with a live feed video-and-mapping camera.

In addition to chronicling the weekly progress of their new drone SAR unit, their Facebook page is one of the best portals into the world of drones that I've come across to date. These guys and gals are on the cutting edge. Check them out here. 

Here's a few shots of Peace River's SAR UAS X81 drone being prepped on its launcher by Richard Hyland, a K9 handler and private pilot with PRSAR. Photos courtesy of Michael Hadsell, a commercial-rated pilot and administrator of PRSAR's Facebook page.

The 7 fundamental principles of man-tracking

The seven (7) fundamental principles of man-tracking:

1. Positively identify the tracks you're going to follow.
2. Keep the track line between you and the light source.
3. Observe and track as far out as the sign can be recognized.
4. Never move further than the last known sign.
5. Never contaminate the sign.
6. Never track faster than your abilities allow.
7. Get into the mind of the quarry.

Source: This article was adapted from the Combat Tracking Guide, by John D. Hurth, a retired U.S. Army Special Forces soldier who was awarded the Bronze Star. Copyright © 2012 by Stackpole Books. All Rights Reserved. Excerpted with expressed written permission. To purchase this book or inquire about Hurth’s man-tracking classes and tactical, force-on-force training programs, contact the TÝR Group, LLC; www.TYRgroupLLC.com, 1.337.344.7928.

John D. Hurth, US Army Special Forces Soldier, retired

Holiday Tech Tips from our friends at Petzl

Holiday Tech Tips from our friends at Petzl.

How to use your hand and the sun to tell the time

As you know, the sun crosses the imaginary North-South line (Meridian) every day when it reaches its highest point (Zenith) above the horizon. Therefore when the sun is at its highest point in the sky it is North or South of you, depending upon your position on the earth's surface, and the sun's position relative to the earth's equator.

For all practical purposes there are twenty-four hours between each sun crossing of your North-South line, or Meridian. During the twenty-four hours the earth will have revolved apparently 360 degrees; therefore it will move 15 degrees for each hour, or one degree in four minutes.   

Source: This article was adapted from The Ten Bushcraft Books, by Richard Harry Graves. Originally a military jungle-craft manual, it was published circa-1944 by Graves (1898-1971), an Irish-born Australian poet and novelist who founded and led the Australian Jungle Survival and Rescue Detachment during World War II. Attached to the Far East American Air Force, he trained US forces in jungle craft. His 60-man unit conducted over 300 rescues, all of which were completed successfully and without losses. After the war he ran a bushcraft school for over twenty years.

This is very convenient to know, because if you know the North or South accurately, you can easily measure off the number of degrees the sun is from the North-South line, and this will give you the number of hours and minutes before, or after noon. These measurements must be made along the curved path of the sun, and not on a horizontal or flat plane.

The above illustration shows how to measure degrees with the arm fully extended. These measurements will vary slightly, like your personal dimensions, and should be checked by each individual with a compass for accuracy.

• Hand at full arm's length, fingers widely spread—22 degrees
• Thumb turned in—15 degrees
• Closed fist—8 degrees
• From second knuckle to edge of fist—3 degrees
• Between two centre knuckles—2 degrees

By this means, if you have a compass, time can be easily read from the sun's position. This should be possible to within four or five minutes. Decide from your compass your true North-South line and remember to make allowance for the magnetic variation from True North. Measure the number of degrees the sun is from this imaginary line, and multiply the number of degrees by four to obtain the number of minutes.

For example, in the above illustration, the sun is 34 degrees from the North-South line. It is morning, because the sun is on the eastern side of the North-South line, 34 x 4 = 136 minutes before noon; therefore it is sixteen minutes to ten in the morning local sun time.

The December 2013 issue of the New Zealand Search and Rescue (NZSAR) "Link Magazine" is now online

The December 2013 issue of the New Zealand Search and Rescue (NZSAR) Link Magazine is now online.

The FBI's FREE, 197-page "Handbook of Forensic Services" is a handy reference for those tasked with recognizing, preserving, and collecting forensic-related evidence

The Handbook of Forensic Services (revised in 2007), edited by Kim Waggoner, and published by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), is an excellent how-to manual for those tasked with dealing with trace evidence, either from the standpoint of recognizing it so it can be preserved for collection by the agency of jurisdiction, or collected, packaged, and submitted directly to a forensic science laboratory.

Indexed for quick access, it covers:

• Submitting Evidence
• Evidence Examinations
• Crime Scene Safety
• Crime Scene Search

This detailed, 197-page forensic manual is MibSAR recommended for SAR-trailer reference libraries.

Best of all, this publication can be downloaded for free here. 

How to use the aiming off technique with your map and compass

Aiming off is an essential land navigation technique to use when your attack point is not immediately visible.

Source: This article was adapted from the Ultimate Navigation Manual, by Lyle F. Brotherton. Copyright © 2011 by Harper Collins Publishers, London, UK. All Rights Reserved. Excerpted with Expressed Written Permission. Order your copy today at www.MicroNavigation.com or www.Amazon.com.

In poor weather you can lose sight of even the largest attack point—small or subtle attack points (such as a contour change) can be missed even in the best of conditions.

The technique involves aiming at a linear feature, deliberately to one side of the attack point, then simply following it to your attack point.

Steps

1. Select your Attack Point.
2. Identify a Linear Feature such as a wall, stream or track near to the attack point.
3. Take a Bearing to one side of your attack point.
4. Calculate from the map the approximate distance from the point at which you will reach the linear feature to your attack point.
5. Walk this bearing.
6. When you reach the linear feature use it as a Handrail to find your attack point, pacing the distance.

The added advantage of flowing water (rivers, brooks, streams, etc.) is that you can also work out from the contour lines which way they are flowing, in this instance you would walk downstream. It might be worth noting that when you hit the linear feature you pace how far it is to your attack point just in case you overshoot it

The December 2013 issue of "SAR News," published by the Arizona Search and Rescue Council, Inc., is online

The December 2013 issue of SAR News, published by the Arizona Search and Rescue Council, Inc., is  online.

Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) efficiency requires more than triage tags

Good article on how to manage mass casualty incidents (MCIs) more effectively in the Journal of Emergency Medical Services:

The Sept. 12, 2008, collision between two trains in a remote area on the outskirts of Los Angeles was an "all-hands" MCI that required significant manpower and resources. This incident presents the opportunity for me to review components of MCI management that are often neglected or omitted from MCI action plans:

• Scene Management
• Communications
• Use of helicopters
• Forward Triage & Re-Triage
• Staging Vehicles and People
• Patient Transfer Teams

Read this timely article here.

Even Santa needs a rescue every now and again

Source: Glossop Mountain Rescue Team via Peter Zimmer at LandSAR New Zealand

Human v. animal bone identification tips for SAR operators

While the final determination of whether a bone is animal or human in origin is best left to the forensic anthropologist or other qualified expert, there are several good indicators available to SAR operators in the field.

In her article entitled Determination of Human Versus Nonhuman Skeletal Material, Kathy Taylor, Ph.D., describes several ways animal bones can be differentiated from human bones.

Dr. Taylor is a forensic anthropologist with the King County Medical Examiner's Office in Seattle, Washington, USA.

Her article is excerpted below, with her expressed written permission.

MibSAR-recommended bone manuals for SAR-trailer reference libraries:

The Human Bone Manual, by Tim D. White and Pieter A. Folkens (Elsevier Academic Press, 2005)

Human Osteology: A Laboratory and Field Manual, by William M. Bass (Missouri Archaeological Society, 2005)

K-9 Handlers: Cool "God Made A Dog" Tribute Video

God Made a Dog Video

Source: MibSAR's own Dave Goodyear

The January 2014 issue of "Mountain Pro Magazine" is online

The January 2014 issue of Mountain Pro Magazine is online and its got two articles of potential interest to SAR operators:

• UK Lowland Rescue profile on page 22
• Avalanche Safety on page 26

How to improve your observation skills during difficult searches

While not much has been written about it, a volunteer searcher using binoculars to scan Nevada's mountainous terrain is credited with spotting the overturned Jeep belonging to a missing family of 6—including 4 children between the ages of 3 and 10—in a rugged canyon. They had been missing in snowy, sub-zero weather for two days.

The group was found safe in an area called Trinity Canyon, according to the Pershing County Sheriff's Office. They were discovered from a distance by a volunteer searcher using binoculars to scan mountainsides, the sheriff's office said. —CNN, December 10, 2013

If it were not for this volunteer's observation skills, this search may have had a different outcome.

To sharpen our observation skills—both with the unaided eye and when using optics—we can draw on the training our war fighters currently receive.

Source: This article was adapted from the Combat Observation and Decision-Making in Irregular and Ambiguous Conflicts (CODIAC) Manual, by Greg Williams and David Scott-Donelan, 2010. This training program was inspired by the US Marine Corps’ Combat Hunter Program and was published by the US Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) & Joint Task Force North (JTF–N).

According to the Combat Observation and Decision-Making in Irregular and Ambiguous Conflicts (CODIAC) Manual, when a team enters a search area, observers should be assigned to cover overlapping fields of observation and conduct searches of their visual fields.

A hasty visual search should be conducted before a detailed search

The Hasty Search: In a hasty search, the observer quickly glances at specific points, terrain features, or other areas that could conceal the enemy. He/she does not sweep his/her eyes across the entire terrain, because that is less effective at detecting movement. Instead, the observer should start the search by viewing the area closest to his/her position and then working out. Searches should be conducted by looking from right-to-left (because this goes against most people’s natural tendency to read from left-to-right). If able, personnel should use binoculars, rather than higher powered optics, during a hasty search. Binoculars give the observer a wider field of view, thereby increasing the efficiency of the search. If a threat is detected, the observer should transition to a higher power optic, if available.

The Detailed Search: After completing a hasty search, the observer should initiate a detailed search using the overlapping strip method. Normally, the area nearest the observer offers the greatest danger; therefore, the search should begin there. The observer systematically searches the terrain, starting at the right flank and then moving his/her observation towards the left in a 180˚ arc. Each visual arc should include about 50 meters of depth. After reaching the left flank, the observer searches the next swath nearest to his/her post. Each visual arc should overlap the previous search area by at least 10 meters in order to ensure total visual coverage of the area. Also, the search should extend as far back as the observer can see, and it should always encompass the areas of interest that were identified during the hasty search.

Observation cycles

Surveillance teams should repeat this cycle of hasty-then-detailed searches every 15 to 20 minutes, depending upon the terrain and specific responsibilities. When maintaining observation over time, personnel should keep their head and body movements to a minimum. They should also take special note of key terrain features and observe them closely during each visual search.

Key Terrain Features

With each consecutive visual pass over an area, personnel should take note of prominent terrain features (positive space) as well as any areas that may offer cover or concealment to the enemy (negative space). This way, observers become familiar with the terrain.

• Positive Space: Positive space has mass; it includes solid objects such as buildings, trees, signs, or vehicles. Personnel cannot typically see through positive space, but it naturally attracts the human eye. People are inclined to look from positive space to positive space.

• Negative Space: Negative space falls between positive spaces. These areas of shadow and background may be overlooked by untrained observers, which explains why good camouflage resembles negative space. Personnel must consciously observe negative spaces.

• Other Key Features: Personnel must remember to pay particular attention to possible anchor points, habitual areas, and natural lines of drift. Additionally, the acronym “KOCCOA” can help warfighters and law enforcement remember the specific terrain features to observe.

KOCCOA (pronounced “co-CO-uh”) helps you remember the high priority terrain features, these are:
K = Key terrain features
O = Observation points
C = Cover
C = Concealment
O = Obstacles
A = Avenues of approach

Light and Shadow

Due to constantly changing clouds and the sun’s positions, light is a changing factor in observation. Observers should carefully watch the changing contrast and shadows. An area that the observer first thought held no enemy may reveal an adversary when the light changes.

Rotation

To minimize fatigue and reduce the likelihood of change blindness, team members should reassign observation duty approximately every 30 minutes.

Variety of Optics

Many factors (such as distance, light level, and obstacles) affect what personnel can see with their naked eyes and/or particular optical devices. When possible, a tactical team should simultaneously employ
a range of optical devices and naked-eye viewing. By using a variety of observation tools, personnel have a greater likelihood of identifying a target.

U.S. Coast Guardsman dies of injuries suffered in rescue operation off Alaska

SEATTLE — A U.S. Coast Guardsman died in a Seattle hospital Wednesday of injuries suffered while conducting a rescue operation near Amak island, Alaska, on Nov. 11.

Petty Officer Third Class Travis Obendorf’s family was by his side when he died in Swedish Hospital following surgery, the Coast Guard said.

At the time of his injury,  Obendorf and his colleagues aboard Coast Guard Cutter Waesche were conducting small boat operations to assist the disabled fishing vessel Alaska Mist with 22 crew aboard. During the first transfer of passengers, Obendorf was injured while recovering the small boat. Read more.

Source: Point Last Scene