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Welcome!
05-16/2006 - No new news to report.
09-15-2003 - SMSARD Sadly Announces the Passing of K-9 Pete
10-28-2002 - Search Mission Report. K-9 Find of 4 y/o male...
04-28-2002 - 3 reported dead in Charles County tornado...
Thanks to WorkingSearchDogs.com and Televor Networks for providing us with this web site. Without them, it would not exist.
If you want, you can always click on our logo in the upper right corner to return to this page.
As with any rescue organization, Canine Search and Rescue has its own uniqueness. Not only does the canine have to be well trained, the canine handler does as well. All volunteers/handlers and canines are NOT suited for Search and Rescue work. Our Evaluation Program gives the team an opportunity to determine the suitability of the handler and the canine for such demanding roles. It also gives the handler the chance to decide if they are seriously interested in Search and Rescue work.
It is important to understand that NOT all dogs are going to be suitable for Search and Rescue. This is due to a number of factors, including:
- breed
- age
- retrieving ability
- and their personality.
It can take over 1 year of training before you and your canine are operational and ready for searches. The Search Testing sets forth the guidelines to becoming operational.
Upon completion of an introductory meeting with the Director and the Assistant Director, you and your canine will be placed in an "evaluation status". This evalutation status will enable the team to evaluate you and your canine to see if you will be suitable for Search and Rescue work. You and your canine must attend 4 out of 5 training sessions, then you and your canine will be evaluated by 3 members of the team. If upon completing the Evaluation Program successfully, you and your canine will be placed in our training program. If your canine does not successfully complete the Evaluation Program, you and your canine will be disqualified. You can contact us any time to have another canine evaluated.
Some important questions you need to answer:
- Are you willing to train or go out on a search when it is hot, cold, raining, snowing, or just plain miserable?
- Are you willing to pay out-of-pocket expenses for some training, and travel to out of state places to obtain this training?
- Are you willing to get out of bed at 2:00 AM to go on a search knowing you could be out the rest of the night?
- Are you willing to search during the night in unfamiliar places?
- Does the thought of possibly finding a deceased person really bother you?
If you answered "NO" to any of these questions (or "YES" to the last one), then Search and Rescue probably isn't for you. By accepting this training process, you are making a very big comittment and are going to be spending a large amount of your time, and possibly your money, on becoming operational with SMSARD.
Legal Disclaimer
The material contained in this Web site is copyrighted material, and no permission is granted to use this information for any purpose other than reference material to learn about SMSARD, Inc. If you or your team wish to use any of the material contained in this Web site as a template for your own purposes, feel free to contact the Director. Express written permission to use any of this material for any other purpose is the only acceptable means of permission to use.
