Firefighters and EMTs shouldn’t be afraid of the “bark”….
We here at HSZ love to report on animals in Homeland Security from not only the human’s point of view but the animals too. Sometimes what we see as two distinct items can be seen as the same when we consider the cognitive abilities of our animal friends. Think about the similarities in size, color, and materials between a training suit used to protect a handler from dog bites and Police, Fire, and EMS protective gear. Now consider the meaning of the similarities, but also consider that you don’t know the difference in the equipment’s use. If you were a dog would you think that turnout gear was a bite suit? But this isn’t a problem because emergency workers in turnout gear will never, ever, ever be in an environment where a patrol trained dog could be released. Or will they?
This post is written towards the first responder community, but it also highlights one of our most overlooked and irreplaceable assets, the Police Service Dog (PSD). As old as the establishment of emergency services, the PSD has been incorporated as a partner animal. Today, they are used in every branch of duty and at every level of government. Throughout the years, the PSD role has spread with the same complex diversity, which is equal to the expansion rate of the evolving responsibilities surrounding America’s Police, Fire, and EMS personnel. Dan Lane, President of Connecticut Police Working Dog Association (CPWDA), said that the PSD selection process looks for individual dog ability, as well as their potential to socialize and integrate with specialty teams such as SWAT and Narcotics Units.
What has not changed throughout the years is the tendency of emergency service workers to cluster amongst themselves and engage in remote operations……until now. Enter the concept of the Rescue Task Force. Large scale world events have made Police, Fire, and EMS units realize that emergency responder operations cannot occur in a vacuum. Throughout the country, emergency responders are considered remiss in their duties if they are not in the process of leveraging the efforts of all personnel who will be available at a scene to save lives. Cross training and cooperation among distinctive disciplines is the new normal. Along with the paradigm shift also comes exposures to new hazards and unfamiliar working conditions.
As part of the change, Fire and EMS personnel now have the possibility of close quarter exposures to active PSD units during operations. The question must be asked if Fire and EMS personnel are ready to operate in an environment where the possibility of a released 60–100lb dog exists. It is foolish to believe that Fire and EMS personnel will not have typical human fear reactions when the unknown element of a PSD is introduced into an equation. It is also a flawed concept to believe that human behavior will change as a result of routine exposures to dogs, due to interactions from daily Fire and EMS operations. Training in this area must be incorporated sooner than later. In the police world alone, it has been a monumental task to establish familiarization and integration of tactics between regular operations, specialty units, and PSD operations.
So what needs to be done? In late 2014, I had the pleasure of training with the CPWDA, instructing a ballistic shield course for K9 units. Initially, when presented with the concept, I was skeptical. As a SWAT team operator for over 15 years, I did not see the value and viewed the specialty groups as two very different toolsets, which were easily combinable for an operation. The very dedicated, forward thinking individuals of the CPWDA taught me that officer safety requires an understanding of the process that incorporates the dog’s point of view, as well as the operator’s human tendencies.
In an article for PoliceOne, Brad Smith, an expert on PSD and specialty team integration notes that police tactical gear consisting of a bulky vest, arm pads, and helmet, will resemble a decoy bite suit to a PSD. Could the same potential for mis-identification also not occur with Fire and EMT Turnout Gear? Smith asserts that the confusion around manner of dress is compounded because “Dogs are pack animals and they are used to their pack looking a certain way.” If this could happen with appearance, what about the strange burnt odors that emanate from our Firefighter colleagues? The bottom line is that during a critical incident, the last thing we need is to mix a confused police trained dog and distracted rescue workers. As Smith and the CPWDA assert, an optimum performance by both the human and animal elements of an operational team is gained by mutually beneficial familiarization and functional training.
Further information on the subject can be found in Brad Smith’s 2013 book K9 Tactical Operations for Patrol and SWAT, and advanced training is available at k9tacops.com. Information about the work of the Connecticut Police Working Dog Association can be located at http://www.cpwda.com/info.htm. I am grateful to them both for their foresight and contributions to public safety.
(Story courtesy of Zookeeper GS)
