IRO search and rescue dog teams are mainly deployed in their country of origin or the country of their IRO member organisation. Mission scenarios are mostly natural disasters, accidents and reports of missing persons. IRO members carry out around 2,000 missions every year.
The search and rescue dog teams are mainly deployed in local and regional area searches. The availability of national experts is also in line with the UN’s intent. For example, the fact that more than 95% of those who have been buried after an earthquake are rescued by local first responders a few hours after the event illustrates the importance of having appropriately trained teams on site immediately. In avalanches, the chance of survival after 2 hours is extremely low. Due to the important role of first responders, the IRO also considers it meaningful and important to invest a great deal of effort in setting up search and rescue dog capacities in disaster-prone countries.
International cooperation in times of major disasters is becoming increasingly important.
If the initial search for casualties needs fast action, dogs' noses are still indispensable despite technological progress. Major catastrophes have the peculiarity that they cannot be managed by local resources and that national crisis management reaches its limits. Therefore, international assistance cannot be foregone, but it must meet strict criteria. 10 hours after an international request, an operations team (USAR-Urban Search and Rescue Team) has to be able to travel and be self-sufficient in the affected area for 7-10 days. If IRO search and rescue dog teams deploy, they always accompany USAR teams on their missions.
The search and rescue dog follows a track left on the ground by a missing person. In such cases, the starting point is known. Mantrailing is a special form that is becoming increasingly popular, where the dog follows an individual's scent in the air. Sniffing a personal item of the missing person is enough to pick up a scent at the starting point.
Many missions entail the search for missing persons for whom there is no precise track. While searching for a human scent, the dog runs zigzag through a forest, while the dog handler moves forward in a straight line within an allocated search area. In this way, relatively small teams can scan large areas within a short time period.
Mostly following earthquakes, landslides, gas explosions and tsunamis; undoubtedly the most difficult task. Many different smells and disturbing factors complicate the search. The dog has to make its way trought the rubble, which is many metres high, independently and to alert its handler to the find by barking or scratching. To avoid mistakes, the search is repeated with a second dog, if possible.
Those who get caught under an avalanche are at risk of suffocation or death from hypothermia, exhaustion or suffered injuries. Every minute counts. With the help of snow-cats, ski-doos or helicopters, teams reach the avalanche quickly. Similar to Area searches, the dogs run down the search area in a zigzag pattern.
If a person is at risk of drowning, a specially trained dog pulls them out of the water just as a lifeguard would. The search for people in water refers to dead bodies. The dog is moved across the water in a boat and indicates any ascending scent. Nevertheless, search and rescue dogs are essentially intended for locating people who are alive.
