SEARCH PROCEDURES INVOLVING BUILDINGS & OPEN AREAS

When carrying out a search on a collapsed structure the  distance that the dog can be worked away from the handler will be reduced drastically compared to that of an open area search. 

The main contributing factors are: -

These factors will indicate to the handler if the area needs to be made safe before commencement of the search.  Any dangerous areas that need specific care to be taken and additional safety equipment needed for the search.

The handler can then work the dog at the required safe distance without being on top of the dog or putting themselves or the dog at risk.

To search a building / area effectively the search must be broken down into three main procedures.

Free search: The handler allows the dog to use its own initiative to carry out the search of the room / area.  The handler should keep their verbal encouragement to a minimum during this part of the search.  If the dog starts too look for assistance from its handler, verbal encouragement must be used and the handler needs to take control of the search and direct the dog into the areas that have not been free searched by the dog.  

 Building / rooms systematic search: should be carried out after the free search.  This is when the handler takes control and directs the dog around the room from left to right, making sure that they over lap the search area at their starting point. Once the boundary of the room has been searched a systematic search of the middle of the room must be carried out.  As illustrated in the diagrams for building searches. 

Area systematic search handler directs the dog into specific areas or quarters the area.  Quartering control is carried out for an SAR Dog to be able to search an area both quickly and efficiently.  The dog must cover the area so as not to miss any part of the search area.  The handler can use hand signals and their body movement to direct the dog to the left and right of the handler’s axis.    As illustrated in the diagrams for area searches.

A full systematic search may not be required for each room / area, if the handler feels that the dog has sufficiently covered the majority of  the room / area on the dog’s free search.  The handler may only then need to direct the dog to specific points in that room / area.

 Fingertip / close search periodically you may need to re-search part of an area that the dog has initially shown interest in.

 The fingertip search is used to concentration the dog’s search in a small area. Example: after the dog has shown interest in a specific area but has not given a positive indication.  The handler will re-search the area with the dog in a tighten systematic controlled search, guiding the dog by the use of the handler’s hands and showing the dog the exact location to search (Finger tip / close search)   

Perimeter / boundary Search 

Use natural boundaries as much as possible to assist you in defining your search area.
                    - Walls
                    - Hedgerows
                    - Roads / paths
                    - Ditches
                    - Watercourses

Open areas must also have their boundaries searched, making sure that the handler has overlapped the search boundary by at least 5m. 

Building searches, remember to search any cellars, attics, garages and outbuildings that have been incorporated close to your search perimeter / boundary.

Please read the document relating to Scent appreciation which covers how to use the weather / wind to your advantage in locating individuals.  

BUILDING SEARCH

This procedure is carried out room by room on each floor, systematically searching from left to right throughout each floor of the building.  

The starting point E.G. top to bottom or bottom to top will depend on the damage and access to the building that needs to be searched.  The most important factor is that once you have committed to a search pattern, you need to keep to that systematic search, otherwise you could quite easily miss out large areas of you search area. 

A systematic search of each room must be made.  Initially the dog will be allowed to free search, before being directed around the room moving from left to right.  The Handler must make sure that the search has been overlapped at the start point as indicated in the above diagram. A search is then carried out in the middle of the room if required.

AREA SEARCH

On any area to be searched the basic search procedure will remain the same and this will not change  if the area is 50 metres square or 10,000 metres square. (Illustrated below)  The area must be broken down into effective manageable search areas.   This will allow the handler to search any size of area quickly and effectively without missing out any areas wthin the search area. 

This procedure will be repeated depending on how many sections / grids / sectors  the area has been broken down into.

Once the dog team are proficient at these search procedures it will assist them in breaking down more complex areas effectively, when encountering search areas as shown below.