Short description
1.1 This guide defines the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for a dog crew or team to perform an area search. 1.2 Area search dog crews or teams perform searches on the surface of the land, including open urban or wilderness areas, as well as mountainous terrain, and alpine environments. 1.2.1 Additional training shall be required for area search dog crews or teams that search in mountainous terrain, alpine environments, or underground. 1.3 This guide does not include the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to search in partially or fully collapsed structures, confined spaces, or on bodies of water, inland or oceanic. 1.4 Area search dog crews or teams trained to meet the requirements of this guide may operate in urban and disaster areas that may be isolated, or have lost their infrastructure. 1.5 Area search dog crews or teams must work under qualified supervision deemed appropriate by the AHJ. 1.6 This guide does not provide a theoretical basis for how an area search dog crew or team functions. 1.7 Search dog crews or teams are eligible to be members of Type I and II SAR crews or teams of the following Kinds, as defined in Classification F1993 : 1.7.1 Kind A (Wilderness), 1.7.2 Kind B (Urban), 1.7.3 Kind C (Mountainous), 1.7.4 Kind G (Cave), 1.7.5 Kind H (Mine), 1.7.6 Kind I (Avalanche), 1.7.7 Kind K (Aircraft), and 1.7.8 Kind L (Unclassified). 1.8 Further training may be required before an area search dog crew or team can fully participate on a particular Type and Kind of team or crew, based on specific local need, regulations, or policies. 1.9 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.