SDF teams were called upon twice this week to prepare for disasters – Derek Chaky & Scout, Robert Grant & Rocky, Patti Krafft & Billy and Andrea Sutcliffe & Skye staged with their task force as tornado season kicked-off in Dallas, TX, while Greg Gould & Dax and Brian Girard & Keila were deployed to search for a missing person in Bethlehem, NY.
In Task Force operations, there are several stages to an emergency response deployment before a team reaches the scene where they are needed. SDF uses the term “pre-staging” to mean our Search Teams were at the scene in case canines were needed to search for survivors, but did not actually get called to search. We consider a canine team fully deployed when they are sent to actually search for people believed to be missing.
Dallas, TX – Tornado Pre-Staging
April 2, 2017 – 2:30pm
Report by Handler Andrea Sutcliffe
Yesterday at 1430, TX-TF2 was stood up as a Type I team, in anticipation of severe weather conditions across the whole southern part of the U.S. (A Type I team consists of 70 members, which includes four canine teams.) The following teams were deployed and staged:
Derek Chaky and Scout
Robert Grant and Rocky
Patti Krafft and Billy
Andi Sutcliffe and Skye
After the severe storms had passed through Texas, the whole team was released at 2200. [10 p.m.] Even though we were not asked to leave our staging location, all members were processed, loaded up and ready to hit the road. As you can tell by the photo, it was a very gloomy day and in fact, began to rain shortly after the photo. Even though we were not asked to go out the door, it was a great MOBEX [mobility exercise] for the team.
Bethlehem, NY – Missing Person Pre-Staging
April 5, 2017 – 10pm
Report by Handler Greg Gould
Handlers: Greg Gould and Dax, Brian Girard and Keila, handlers to be: Brook Rowley and Adam Leckonby and New York Task Force 2 Program Manager Tom Howard were deployed for a missing person search at 10:00pm on April 5, 2017. The search was for an 89 year old female with dementia. She had left her apartment and was missing for about 1 hour. The search was in the Town of Bethlehem. Greg arrived first and received a briefing. Tom Howard arrived next and they did a quick sweep with a thermal imaging camera with no success, as Greg was preparing to send Dax to search a cemetery the female was found in an unoccupied apartment in the building. She was found by the fire department.
We are relieved that in both situations, citizens were unharmed and brought to safety. We hope that you share our pride in knowing that Search Teams across the country are ready and waiting to help when called upon to assist!