Search Rescue facts

While investigating facts about Search & Rescue and Search Rescue Dogs, I found out little known, but curios details like:

The rescue dogs searching the 9/11 rubble got depressed from constantly finding dead bodies so their handlers had firemen hide so the dog could find them and play.

how to become search and rescue?

During the search and rescue operations for the September 11th attacks, it was becoming rarer and rarer for rescue dogs to find anyone, leading them to feel failed, so firefighters hid in the rubble for the dogs to find them.

What are the search and rescue procedures?

In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across answering what is a search and rescue dog. Here are 50 of the best facts about Search & Rescue Training and Search & Rescue Stoke Newington I managed to collect.

what is search and rescue?

Search and rescue dog Trakr, who found the last survivor 27 hours after the 9/11 attacks, was successfully cloned in 2009. The five puppies produced then went on to be trained as search and rescue dogs
A shelter dog named Ginny rescued hundreds of injured stray cats. Abused herself and later adopted, she searched alleys, abandoned buildings and construction sites for cats in need. Once found, she would alert her owner who would take them into care. She saved over 900 cats in her lifetime.
Steve Irwin was filming a documentary in 2003 when he heard scuba divers went missing. He and his whole film crew stopped filming to aid in the 2 day search and rescue of the missing divers.
In 1986 the United Way released 1.5 million balloons in Cleveland as a publicity stunt. It clogged the land and waterways of NE Ohio, shut down an airport runway, and forced the Coast Guard to suspend a search and rescue of 2 men who ended up drowning.
Dogs that served with the US Army in Afghanistan from 2010 - 2014 were poorly treated upon discharge, some were left in kennels for many months and not cared for, while others remain unaccounted. Several soldiers later searched for and rescued their ex-partners.
The European Space Agency and EU are currently deploying an alternative to GPS, called "Galileo". As well as being accurate to 1 meter, it will also have a "Search and Rescue Service", where distress signals can be picked up from anywhere on Earth. The full system will be completed by 2019.
14-year-old kidnap victim Shawn Hornbeck, while being held captive, Googled himself and found the website his parents set up for his search. He left an anonymous message there -- "How long are you planning to look for your son?" -- but no one knew he had been the author until after his rescue.
In 1979 the governments of the USA, France, Canada and the USSR signed a treaty to create a worldwide network of search-and-rescue satellites and ground stations. To date this system has saved at least 42k lives and works everywhere on Earth. A beacon costs $200 and has a 5 year battery!
The US Coast Guard trained pigeons to do search and rescue missions. Although initial tests showed the pigeons had 93% success rate (compared to the 38% human success rate), the program was scrapped due to budget cuts.
Search and rescue dogs searching for survivors after 9/11 would experienced depression-like symptoms because they couldn't find survivors, only bodies.

search rescue facts — What is urban search and rescue?

Why join a search and rescue team?

You can easily fact check it by examining the linked well-known sources.

Rescue dogs searching the ruins of 9/11 found too few survivors that it caused them depression because they felt they had failed. The rescue workers pretended and hide themselves in the rubble in order to give the dogs successful finds and keep them motivated.

A man survived 3 days in an air pocket after his ship sunk in 100 foot waters, and was rescued by a diving team searching for bodies. - source

In July 2015, a boat fell victim to waves on Lake Havasu, Arizona, filled with water, and sank to the bottom. When the Search and Rescue team responded to recover the boat an hour later, they discovered a stowaway cat that was still alive inside the sunken-boat. - source

In 1812 Charles Barnard, a captain of an American sealer ship, rescued marooned British sailors from the Falkland Islands despite the 2 countries being at war. While he searched for provisions, the British sailors stole his ship and he himself was marooned for 18 months.

A VR experiment showed people given the power of superhero flight and told to perform search and rescue were more willing to aid others afterwards than those who were given a helicopter and told to do the same thing. - source

When to call search and rescue?

The initial survivors of the Flight 123 crash died from delay in the rescue due to nearby American forces being told to stand down and the rescue party waiting until the next morning to begin the search

How to become a search and rescue dog handler?

The cross shape spray painted on buildings after a disaster is a FEMA standardized Urban Search and Rescue system

In 1986, the United Way released 1.5 M balloons at once. It was responsible for shutting down and airport, causing environmental damage, and hindering a search and rescue operation.

Harrison Ford routinely volunteers his flying skills for mountain rescue missions. He once rescued a stranded climber from over 11000 feet. He also joined a search for a missing 13 year old Boy Scout in Yellowstone, which he successfully about 10 miles from camp and returned to safety.

The search and rescue dogs of 9/11 became depressed as fewer and fewer live bodies were being found. To help combat this, human rescue workers occasionally hid in the rubble to be found and reward the dogs.

Australian Shepherd enjoys to compete and participate in manifestations that test agility, herding skills and obedience of dogs. It can be also used as guide dog, rescue dog, therapy dog, assistance dog and search dog.

Interesting facts about search rescue

Churchill in WW2 ordered all German Air Ambulances, painted white with red cross (Seenotdienst Search and Rescue) to be shot down when encountered

Golden Retriever can be easily trained to serve as a guide dog for deaf and blind people, assistance dog for people with disabilities and therapy dog. Thanks to its excellent sense of smell, Golden Retriever is frequently used as a sniffer dog (to detect bombs) and as a search-and-rescue dog.

Dogo Argentino is often used as military and police dog, search-and-rescue dog, guide dog and as a therapy dog.

In 1945 five bombers in training went missing in the Bermuda Triangle. The rescue plane sent to search for them never returned either. One pilot reported, "Everything looks strange, even the ocean," prior to disappearing forever.

Crumstone Irma, a search and rescue dog working during the London Blitz, was known for her ability to detect whether trapped people were alive or dead and signal this by barking. In one incident, she could tell that an unconscious man was alive even when her handlers thought he was dead.

How to train a search and rescue dog?

The Coast Guard tested using pigeons for search and rescue missions. Pigeons were 52% more accurate than humans at recognizing floating objects.

St. Bernard is best known as search-and-rescue dog, specialized for finding people trapped in the snow or lost in the avalanches.

English Springer Spaniel can be used as a therapy dog, sniffer dog (to detect explosives and weapons, blood, humans and bumblebee nests) and as a search-and-rescue dog.

Airedale Terrier is courageous dog with great stamina. It was often used as ambulance and watchdog and to carry messages, food and ammunition between British battalions during the WWI. In the more recent history, Airedale terrier was used as police and search-and-rescue dog before it was replaced with German Shepherd.

Horse plays important role in the police. Mounted police first appeared in London in the 17th century and this practice soon became popular in the USA and Australia. Horses are also used by park rangers, game wardens and in the search-and-rescue organizations.

Brett Archibald fell overboard from a tour boat into the Indian ocean at night in Apr 2013. He was left alone in the sea for 28 hours straight, surviving through storms, dehydration, a sea gulls' attack and a shark encounter. He was rescued following a large search and rescue effort.

When Japan Airlines Flight 123 crashed in 1985, US military teams found the wreckage within 20 minutes but were given orders to stand down and not participate in rescue efforts. Japanese rescue teams waited until the next day to search for survivors.

Over 1400 people have vanished inside US National Parks. Kids disappearing right under their parents noses found in areas described as inaccessible. Bodies discovered in locations that had already been searched, rescue dogs acting strange refusing to search

Siberian Husky can tolerate extremely low temperatures (-50 to -60 degrees of Celsius) and travel large distances without food. It was often used as search-and-rescue dog, for transportation and communication between the stations during the WWII.

In 2005 there were 31 search and rescue missions within the park, and just over 2000 offences reported by law enforcement.

Her Majesty's Coastguard of the UK don't actually operate any ships instead focus on search and rescue with Rhibs and aircraft. Defence and law enforcement is the responsibility of the Royal navy, Border force and police.

While on a search and rescue mission, in May 1921, US Sub R-14 broke down. With no radio contact the sub made a sail, attached it to the periscope and over a few days was able to sail to Hawaii

FEMA's Search and Rescue canine/handler teams are certified every three years through a rigorous exam consisting of five elements: Obedience, Bark Alert, Direction & Control, Agility, and culminating in the Rubble Pile where they demonstrate their skills in a realistic simulation of a disaster.

A squadron of five U.S. torpedo-bombers disappeared after having instrument malfunctions during their flight in the Bermuda Triangle. A search and rescue Mariner aircraft took off with a 13-man crew. The Mariner was never heard from again.

Labrador Retriever is intelligent dog that can be easily trained. It is often used as a guide dog, for hunting, detection of drugs and explosives and as a search-and-rescue dog.

This is our collection of basic interesting facts about Search Rescue. The fact lists are intended for research in school, for college students or just to feed your brain with new realities. Possible use cases are in quizzes, differences, riddles, homework facts legend, cover facts, and many more. Whatever your case, learn the truth of the matter why is Search Rescue so important!