K9 Urban Search & Rescue
SOS Malta K9 USAR unit provides trained and certified volunteer search and rescue dog teams that aid and assist in the recovery of missing persons. The unit relies entirely on donations, grants and other fundraising activities to help bring in specialized training and supply unit members with field equipment. All members of SOS USAR K9 are unpaid volunteers who give their time, money and effort to support those in need.
SOS USAR K9 unit aims to prepare search and rescue dogs and handlers as a local resource and that of international responders to assist in the event of an emergency. The unit promises to be effective in search and rescue operations in the following areas:
- Search for missing persons – both wilderness and urban settings.
- Alzheimer patient who has wandered away.
- Tracking missing children.
- Location of victims after natural disasters.
- Location of victims in an avalanche.
- Location of deceased victims in urban environments.
- Location victims under heavy debris.
In order to achieve this aim we have the following areas of work:
- Training of a professional group of canine handlers trained in multiple search disciplines, including search procedures, communication procedures, First Aid/CPR, Wilderness survival.etc
- Establishment of a Dog Team who meet and exceed local and international certification standards Including Certified Search dog in one or more disciplines: tracking/trailing, wilderness area search and cadaver search. This has been achieved.
- Establish an infrastructure to ensure the team is equipped to handle itself during an emergency, including land navigation, radio communications, GPS and map and compass.
- Incident Command System and ground search techniques.