Please help me in congratulating People and Paws SAR team members; Geoff Gardiner & K9 Gretzky (WI-TF-K9 & IL-TF1), Deb Krsnich & K9 Jinx (WI-TF-K9), and Scott Peirson and K9 Alex (IL-TF1), as the newest State Urban Search and Rescue (SUSAR) Type I CE certified disaster canines.
This weekend People and Paws Search and Rescue sponsored and hosted a Type I test at our “Rubbletown Milwaukee” training facility, in conjunction with Wisconsin Task Force Canine, with teams representing WI-TF-K9, IL-TF1, NJ-TF1, FL-TF4. The evaluation was conducted by Teresa MacPherson (VA-TF1), who is the DHS/FEMA Canine sub-group Chair and lead canine evaluator for both the FEMA and SUSAR teams. She was assisted by Type I Evaluator Jennifer Massey (VA-TF1) with (2) Apprentice Evaluators from NJ-TF1 and (1) from MI
-TF1.
The SUSAR Type I Canine Evaluation is identical to that of their FEMA counterparts, and between SUSAR and FEMA, only a small number of K9 teams and handlers nationwide have attained this level of certification. The difference between SUSAR and FEMA is that there are only 28 federally charted FEMA teams in the US&R system, SUSAR teams fill the void (or the additional need in several states with FEMA teams) at the state level. Many excellent teams will attain the Type II, but fall short of attaining the Type I. According to Teresa MacPherson, last year alone only 67% of the Type II teams that attempted the Type I passed. This weekend was also a bit historic in that the SUSAR Type I CE held this weekend by People and Paws SAR was only the second Type I CE to be held in the nation for SUS
AR teams.
This is really an amazing accomplishment for Geoff, Deb, and Scott. The tremendous amount of time they have invested into their training and education to reach this coveted achievement has finally come to fruition by passing their Type I test on the first attempt for all.
5/18/08 Story on Fox 6 (Milwaukee)
This weekend People and Paws Search and Rescue sponsored and hosted a Type I test at our “Rubbletown Milwaukee” training facility, in conjunction with Wisconsin Task Force Canine, with teams representing WI-TF-K9, IL-TF1, NJ-TF1, FL-TF4. The evaluation was conducted by Teresa MacPherson (VA-TF1), who is the DHS/FEMA Canine sub-group Chair and lead canine evaluator for both the FEMA and SUSAR teams. She was assisted by Type I Evaluator Jennifer Massey (VA-TF1) with (2) Apprentice Evaluators from NJ-TF1 and (1) from MI
-TF1.The SUSAR Type I Canine Evaluation is identical to that of their FEMA counterparts, and between SUSAR and FEMA, only a small number of K9 teams and handlers nationwide have attained this level of certification. The difference between SUSAR and FEMA is that there are only 28 federally charted FEMA teams in the US&R system, SUSAR teams fill the void (or the additional need in several states with FEMA teams) at the state level. Many excellent teams will attain the Type II, but fall short of attaining the Type I. According to Teresa MacPherson, last year alone only 67% of the Type II teams that attempted the Type I passed. This weekend was also a bit historic in that the SUSAR Type I CE held this weekend by People and Paws SAR was only the second Type I CE to be held in the nation for SUS
AR teams.This is really an amazing accomplishment for Geoff, Deb, and Scott. The tremendous amount of time they have invested into their training and education to reach this coveted achievement has finally come to fruition by passing their Type I test on the first attempt for all.
5/18/08 Story on Fox 6 (Milwaukee)
