Volume 4, Issue 1
| Top of the Hill | Boots and Blisters | Pinching Pennies | |||||
| Who's Who and New | Gearing Up | Coming Attractions | |||||
| Public Relations | NMESC Notes | Feature Article | |||||
| Web News | Disclaimer |
| Top of the Hill | by Larry Mervine |
Taking an active role in Search & Rescue means we have less free time each month. A member who accepts an officer's position commits even more free time. So I would like to thank last year's officers for taking the extra time to help Cibola to become a better team.
The newly elected officers for 1999 met December 22, 1998 at Dion's Pizza. We reviewed officer's responsibilities, talked about reorganizing the phone tree, possible changes to team standards, and set goals for the coming year. Here are the goals we can achieve this year:
See you out there.
| Boots and Blisters | by Tom Russo |
For the benefit of those who have not yet been dragged into the 20th century and aren't ready to be dragged into the 21st, I'll reproduce the contents of the training web page piecemeal in this space every month --- I'll only include information about the current month's events, but I'll try to be detailed about it. The page itself will have all upcoming events and descriptions of them as such information becomes available.
Here's what I've planned for the first few months of the year:
While I'm encouraging people to participate, I'd really, really like to see more people showing up to the various trainings that we hold this year. For my part, I'll try not to get into a rut where every training is just like the last one you attended, but it's hard to be inspired in planning trainings when only 3 people show up. Let's see as close to 100% participation as we can get, OK?
I've begun to get in touch with other team's training officers in the hopes that they might welcome us to their trainings, and to invite them to ours. If this pans out, I will list other team's training opportunities in our calendar and on the training website. While I encourage you to obtain the broadest range of training you can and will work towards facilitating that, only Cibola weekend trainings will count for the purposes of mission-participation status; I remind you that Cibola requires that you attend two trainings every six months in order to take field assignments at missions under our auspices.
I look forward to a good year with you all, and hope I fill this position well enough for you to be happy with having been stuck with me.
Oh, one other thing. Susan Corban's been setting up these hikes of the
month. Let's thank her by going on a few of them.
| Hike of the Month | Bear Canyon Hike and Map & Compass Practice | 0800, Jan 31, 1999 |
| Trailhead: East End of Spain NE | ||
| R.T. Distance: 4 miles | Elevation Min/Max: 6200/7200 | |
| Hiking Time 2.5 hours | Hazards: | |
| Topo Maps: Sandia Crest Quadrangle | ||
Drive to the far east of Spain NE until you reach the Open Space
parking lot at the end of the dirt road. As is true anywhere in the
foothills, this area is heavily used by mountain bikers, hikers,
dog-walkers, runners, and some horses.
Take the trail that runs east from the parking lot to the National
Forest Boundary fence line. From the fence, travel east again until
the junction with trail 503. Follow 503 east to its easternmost
segment. At the bottom of the arroyo is an east-bound trail blocked
with cholla debris, indicating probited access. Follow 503 a short
distance to the top of the next rise to the north. Trail 503 meets a
fence along private property. A few buildings are visible in the next
arrroyo from the ridge top. Follow the trail that goes east along the
fence line and up in elevation. Climb as high as the large rock point
in view above you, or into the forest just above for great views of
the surrounding area. Mountain lions, deer and fewer earthlings have
been sighted from this point.
This trail reaches a wide, flat area at 7040' in elevation. We'll stop
there to practice map and compass and GPS skills. I will bring
photocopies of this portion of the Sandia Crest Quadrangle 7.5 minute
series for members to use. I want to match the UTMs on my map with the
reading on my GPS, practice resection, etc. This is NOT a test! You
can compare with your neighbor.
| Pinching Pennies | by Mike Dugger |
In order to relieve some of the burden on yours truly, I will not accept fuel vouchers that are not filled out completely and correctly. Come on, it is not rocket science. I expect present members to know this stuff. The Membership Officer and I will make sure that the correct procedure is communicated to new members during their orientation. Here's the basic process:
If the vouchers are not filled out as described above, I will give it back to you. You may fill out your own tax identification information with the state and submit your gas vouchers directly to the state if you wish, or take the 0.12 per mile as an itemized deduction for community service on your annual tax return. Cibola's handling of payment of gas by the state of New Mexico is a service to our members, intended to make it easier for you to get paid for your fuel expenses. Please help me to help you by filling out the forms correctly.
One final note. This may be obvious, but I want to make sure it is clear. The state fuel reimbursement budget is intended to pay you for getting from home or work to the mission, and back. If you respond to a mission from vacation in California, don't try to voucher gas to get you back to New Mexico! Vouchers that are out of line with others responding to a given mission will invite a request from your Treasurer to justify the expense. A nasty business that is best avoided.
| Who's Who and New | by Susan Corban |
For continuing members:
Mentors will be in demand soon. If you're willing to share your experience and knowledge with up-and-coming Cibola members, please let me know. Also, remember to update your address, phone number, email, or anything else that might have changed in your life that we keep on record.
| Gearing Up | by Mike Dugger |
After reviewing the mission attendance data for the past six months, some changes in assignment of team-owned GPS will probably be made. I expect these reassignments to be made within the next couple of weeks. As always, the goal is to put this equipment in the hands of people who are the most active in missions, and don't yet own one.
| Coming Attractions | by Tom Russo |
| Public Relations | by Susan Corban |
Thanks to everyone who has helped get recruitment activities up and running. I've had fun working with all of you on PR activities.
| Web News | by Tom Russo |
| NMESC Notes | by Nancy O'Neill |
| Using Dogs in Search and Rescue: An Introduction for the Ground Pounder | by Mary Berry |
For most ground pounders, the idea of using a dog to help search is a cool idea, but how a dog can do this job is a complete mystery to them. And the question always comes to mind, are they really any help? The answer is yes. However, sometimes it is more obvious than others.
To understand how a dog can "sniff out" the subject lost in the woods, a
person must have some understanding of the characteristics of scent (human
scent in this case). It is generally accepted that human scent is a
combination of dead skin cells, gases, and oils that are produced by our
bodies. This scent is then mixed with things we put on our bodies like
perfumes, lotions, and soaps. As a result, each and every one of us has
our own individual scent which begins with our DNA, and is added to by how
we live, what we eat, drink and smoke, which laundry detergents we use, and
whether our emotional state is calm and relaxed or panic-stricken. This
scent mixture emanates from our bodies constantly (just like Pig Pen in the
Charlie Brown comic strip). Once scent has fallen from our bodies, it is
at the mercy of air currents, temperature and humidity. After leaving the
body, some scent will fall to the ground and stick to nearby vegetation.
Air currents will pick up the rest and deposit it on trees or other
vegetation, or fences or buildings, or whatever else is around. If the
wind is strong, there may actually be more scent deposited farther away
than the spot where the subject is actually standing. Temperature and
humidity affect scent in different ways. High temperatures and dryness
will cause the scent to desiccate quickly. High humidity and cool or
moderate temperatures will help scent to stay around longer. A light
drizzling rain can help rehydrate scent and stick it to the ground, but a
hard rain will dilute it and wash it all away. In our climate, we are most
often dealing with low humidity and scent just drying up!
Now, let's consider the dog's nose. It is well known that dogs have a keen sense of smell. But what does that really mean anyway? One way to put it into perspective is to compare the dog's sense of smell to the human sense of sight. We recognize many shapes, colors, and textures and have developed a vast vocabulary to describe them. Not only do we see the front of our house, we also see the shape of the roof and the color of the stucco. We see the walkway to the front door; curtains dangling in the windows, a small doorbell by the door, the large picture window, and even whether the window is dirty or clean. Dogs categorize scent in a similarly detailed way. They can recognize a particular odor in a human scent mixture that enables them to find a certain family member at the summer family reunion. There have even been studies that claimed a dog could use his sense of smell to tell identical twins apart! Some dogs have a better sense of smell than others do. This is due mostly to differences in nose length. The longer the nose, the more nerve cells the dog has that are responsible for smelling (olfactory neurons). So in general, a German Shepherd dog will have a keener sense of smell than an English Bulldog. However, many dogs have an equal sense of smell. It is through training that the SAR dog becomes more proficient at what comes naturally to him.
There are two basic methods that are taught to dogs for SAR work. Understanding the similarities and the differences between the two types enables the dogs to be used more effectively on a SAR mission. Whether a dog is taught one method or the other is dependent upon what the handler is interested in teaching him, and which method the dog is more naturally suited for. Whichever method is taught, a dog should not be used on a mission if he (and his handler) has not taken a mission-ready evaluation. (Ugh, standards again.) Most dogs require a minimum of two years of training before they are ready to be evaluated. Passing such an evaluation is the only way to prove that the dog is worthy of being in the field.
The first method of SAR dog training is called Area Airscent. These dogs are usually worked off leash and the search team is assigned a search area. The team covers the search area in somewhat of a grid pattern, using the wind direction to dictate how the actual searching is done. The dog runs out in front and from side to side of the handler, checking the wind and vegetation for any evidence of human scent. If scent is found, the dog begins to follow the scent (somewhat like how we follow the wafting scent of grilling steaks to our neighbor's backyard). The handler will note a change in the dog's body language at this time. When the dog successfully follows the scent and finds the subject, he will perform a trained alert. The most common alert taught for wilderness Airscent dogs is for the dog to run back to the handler and bark or jump up at him, and then lead him to the subject (called a re-call, re-find alert). The alert will vary from dog to dog, and is limited only by the handler's imagination and personality of the dog. A smart handler will teach the dog an alert that comes naturally to the dog. Area Airscent dogs are used most effectively when they are assigned to areas that do not have other searchers in it, because they will alert on anyone. (The dog doesn't know for whom he is searching.) So, the dog may alert on other searchers, hikers, or mountain bikers in the area. This is OK. In training, the dog has become used to finding more than one subject in the area, and will continue to search even after finding one person. These dogs are well suited for use in areas of heavy vegetation and downfall, and work well at night. Because the dogs run around "casting" for the scent, they will cover a lot more ground than a person can, and will provide a higher POD of the area than a groundpound team with an equal number of searchers. Breeds of dogs that are best suited for this method of training are the working breeds, such as Retrievers, German Shepherd dogs, and herding dogs such as Border Collies and Cattle Dogs. Many mixed breed dogs work well too. They need to be very energetic and eager to learn things for a reward such as food or a game of Tug-of-War, for example. Because they work off leash, this method also requires that the dog be well obedience trained.
The second method of SAR dog training is called Tracking/Trailing. These dogs are usually worked in a harness and on a long leash and are assigned to begin searching at the Place Last Seen (PLS). A scent article from the subject is given to the dog to smell, and when given the search command, the dog follows the general trail of scent that the subject made as he left the PLS. These dogs check the vegetation and air currents to detect the scent of the subject, and follow where it leads. The handler follows along behind, and goes where the dog takes him (the dog is in charge basically). Eventually, the dog catches up with the subject. Most Tracking/Trailing dogs used for wilderness SAR exclusively are not trained to do a particular find alert because the handler is right there with the dog when he makes the find (remember, the dog is on leash the whole time). These dogs are most effectively used to establish the direction of travel the subject made from the PLS, and can be used while there are other searchers in the area because the dog knows who he is looking for and should ignore everyone else (this is called scent discrimination). These dogs must have a starting place where the scent of the subject is known to be (a PLS), and there also must be a scent article available. Getting the scent article can sometimes be a nuisance and delay getting into the field. Usually, the Mission Initiator or Field Coordinator will collect the scent article from family members, but occasionally the dog handler will be asked to do it. Freshly worn clothing or other articles that are handled only by the subject (e.g. purse, hairbrush, or toy) make the best scent articles. However, a footprint can also be used. In addition, scent articles can be made by wiping the subject's car steering wheel or seat with a sterile gauze pad, for example. The likelihood of finding pertinent clues is increased in the area where the Tracking/Trailing dog goes. Breeds of dogs that are best suited for this method of training are primarily hounds used for hunting. The Bloodhound has a long history of being used for hunting people. However, many other breeds are very successful at Tracking/Trailing, including the working breeds mentioned above. In general, the best Tracking/Trailing dog is independent by nature, and is not particularly concerned about pleasing anyone but himself. This is actually an advantage because the dog needs to be single-minded in his determination that "the scent is THIS WAY you stupid human!" Fortunately, these dogs do not need to be as highly obedience trained as Area Airscent dogs since they are on leash for their search work.
This summary of how wilderness SAR dogs are trained and used covers only the most common methods. There are many permutations of these methods, so you may see a few things done differently if you are given a field support assignment. Of course, we have not discussed less common uses of SAR dogs, such as Cadaver search, Disaster search, and Avalanche search. These are equally interesting ways to use a dog for SAR, and some dogs are cross-trained to one of these specialties after they have become proficient at one of the wilderness methods. Those of us who train dogs for SAR do it because we think dog training is fun, and discovering how a dog uses his nose to "sniff it out" is fascinating. We must love it because no other resource in SAR trains four hours a week, month after month, year after year.
As you have probably surmised by now, there is a multitude of things that can make using a dog as a resource on a mission successful, or not. The weather, and how it has affected scent, is a major factor. Add in the "dark of the night", difficult topography, an inaccurate PLS, and the subject wandering around in circles for hours, and you have a complex problem for the dog and handler to figure out. Dog handlers can get pretty frustrated. Having good field support is essential at this point. Here are a few suggestions for field support ground pounders:
Hopefully, this introduction has helped the reader gain insight into the
thought processes of the dog unit when on a search. It is all about
solving a huge scent puzzle, something which the handler knows a lot about,
but cannot smell, see, or touch. The handler depends on the dog to be true
to his job (search!), and the dog depends on the handler to have faith in
him ("I SAID, the scent is THIS WAY!") As an observer of this dynamic, a
field support ground pounder can have an experience different than the
usual hasty trail search or line search. It can be interesting and fun,
and hopefully result in a find!
| Disclaimer | the Editors |