AVALANCHE RESCUE DOGS
WHAT
they do, HOW they do it, WHY they are valuable
Recreation has some elements
of risk and danger,
(maybe
that’s part of why we do these things.)
In
the snow world there are ever increasing types of fun –
skiing,
backcountry skiing, climbing, snowboarding, snowmobiling,
snow
shoeing, and others.
One
of the potential risks common to all of these activities is the snow
itself.
Piled
up on the mountainside, the snow can fall down – AVALANCHE.
Most
avalanches accidents involving people are caused by people.
A person unfortunate enough to be caught and
buried in this, now unfriendly, stuff
is
“encased” and unable to get out.
They
need HELP and need it quickly – NOW!
The
Survival Probability of someone located and extricated within 15
minutes is 92%.
And
this survival rate plummets to 30% at 35 minutes.
(see %Survival vs. Burial Time &
http://www.avalanche.org/~moonstone/rescue/avalanche%20survival%20chances.htm )
To RESCUE them, you have to
FIND them.
Even
buried under the snow, a person produces a cloud of scent
that
percolates through the snow to the surface.
http://www.avalanche.org/~doghouse/1%20a%20INTRO/scent%20cloud.htm
An
Avalanche Dog can detect this scent and follow it to the victim.
And they can do it with speed and efficiency.
These dogs are one of the fastest methods used to
locate victims.
The ski
areas of the Wasatch Mountains of Utah maintain a
cadre of specialized Search and Rescue Dogs.
These dogs are one of the
fastest methods used to locate victims
They can do the same work as 400 people.
And it is easier, quicker and safer to deploy an
Avalanche Rescue Dog Team
than large groups of people.
This is a graphic comparing the search coverage of a
20 person probe line [the hatched area]
Vs. 1 Avalanche Dog Team in that critical first 30
minutes.
See
http://www.avalanche.org/~doghouse/avalanche_search_methods-times.htm
To
RESCUE them, you have to FIND them
The need for
specifically trained Dog Teams is because
someone’s life may
depend on their performance