National Urban Search Rescue Response System Canine Search

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Unit 5: Scent Theory 1

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training 2

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Unit Objective Upon completion of this unit, you will be able to explain theory of scent as it relates to the canine search for live victims in a collapsed structure 3

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Enabling Objectives n Explain the rationale for understanding scent movement n Describe the factors that may affect scent n Describe how scent is transported away from the victim n Plan the search of a collapsed structure to efficiently work canines into scent 4

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Rationale n Dogs “see” the world through their nose n Scent is 3 -dimensional to them n Our job is to put them where they can best detect scent 5

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training 6

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training The Canine Olfactory System 7

The Nose Knows

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Canine Olfactory System Olfactory sensory cell estimates n Human = 5 million n Canine = 220 million 9

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System CONTRIBUTORS TO HUMAN SCENT COMPLEX Canine Search Specialist Training Bacterial Action Adipose MEOH H 2 SO 4 Volatile Fatty Acids K, Cl, Urea, Ca Mg, PO 4, HOH Eccrine Human Scent Sebaceous Sebum, Squalene Volatile Fatty Acids Amines Apocrine Respiratory Tract GI Tract Other factors: Genetic, Diet, Environment 10

Huh?

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training What is scent to a canine? 12

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training The Raft Theory n Dying/dead, bacteria laden skin cells— called rafts n Rafts are shed from l Skin l Respiratory and digestive tracks 13

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Skin raft loss Approximately 40, 000 per minute! 14

“If one gram of butyric acid was made to evaporate evenly in all the rooms of a ten story office building, a man would barely be able to perceive its existence by standing in one of the rooms. However, if the same gram of butyric acid was diluted to fill the air above the entire city of Hamburg, the dog could still perceive it at an altitude of 300 feet. ” William Syrotuck Scent and the Scenting Dog, pg. 13

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training How is scent dispersed? The scent is heaviest at the source and dispersed away from the victim in a cone 16

Scent Dispersal

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Influences on Scent Dispersal 18

Environmental Influences

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Environmental Influences n Temperature n Wind strength and direction n Humidity n Sun 20

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training 21

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Temperature n Hot n Cold n The temperature of victim versus the temperature of the environment 22

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Wind n Strength n Direction 23

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Humidity n High n Low n Rain 24

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Sun n Clear n Overcast n Night 25

Day-time Patterns Night-time Flows

Structural Influences

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Structural Influences n Building architecture l Elevator shafts l Closed stairwells l Windows l Breached floors/walls 28

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Structural Influences (continued) n Scent flows well in l Broken rubble l Light framing l Brick 29

Katrina 2005

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Scent Flow and Detection 31

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Scent Flow and Detection The disaster search canine is trained to indicate the presence of a live victim by performing a focused bark alert at the point in the rubble where the strongest live human scent is emitted Bark! 32

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training DETECTION versus LOCATION Dogs are SCENT detectors NOT victim locators! 33

Scent Flow—Channeling BARK e n o tc scen on c t scen e • Solid Slabs • Large Chunks

• Solid Slabs • Large Chunks BARK

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Scent Source Detection n Be able to interpret your dog’s alert l Document l Debrief u. Handler to STM u. Handler to Handler 36

Scent Flow—Funneling Bark!

Scent Flow—Pooling Bark!

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Typical Collapse Patterns n Lean-To n “V” n Pancake n Cantilever 39

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Lean-To 40

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training 41

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training “V” 42

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Pancake 43

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Cantilever 45

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training 46

Cold Wall Hot Wall What is this?

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Use your scent knowledge n Identify scenting conditions l Surveyor’s tape, puff bottles/talc mirror scent pattern n Interpret pattern of alerts n Send canine from position which maximizes probability of detection 48

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Considerations n Hazardous materials n Live versus dead n Number of victims found n Distractions 49

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Questions? 50

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Scent Theory/Air Movement Demonstration 51

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Unit Summary and Evaluation 52

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Unit Summary n Explain the rationale for understanding scent movement n Describe the factors that may affect scent n Describe how scent is transported away from the victim n Plan the search of a collapsed structure to efficiently work canines into scent 53

National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Unit Evaluation Please fill out the evaluation on this briefing 54