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SCOUT THE DOG –
REPORTING FOR DUTY
The latest member of Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service’s
(MFRS) urban search and rescue team (USAR) has
completed his first official mission, less than two weeks
after becoming a fully-fledged search & rescue canine.
18-month-old cocker spaniel Scout officially went on the
run on Monday 2nd December, after he and handler Niamh
Darcy – a USAR Technician with MFRS – passed their
USAR Search Dog Team assessment in Lincolnshire on
28th November.
After a week getting to grips with life as an accredited search
and rescue dog, Scout was called to the frontline when a
building collapsed in Garston.
Two fire engines were sent to the scene on Brunswick Street
on Monday 9th December - as well as the search and rescue
appliance – where a 4m x 25m wall had collapsed due to
strong winds. Scout was tasked with searching the rubble
to ensure no one was trapped or injured, with all persons
found to be accounted for and safe.
Funded by National Resilience, Scout and Niamh had to
complete a rigorous training programme before becoming
fully accredited. This included basic obedience, agility,
stamina and, of course, searching for casualties.
with full incident command where Niamh’s input was also
assessed.
Niamh, who has more than 15 years’ experience at MFRS,
said: “I’ve been training Scout since he was a puppy and I’m
incredibly proud of him for achieving his accreditation. He
is a young dog and how he performed on the day and on
Monday on his first operational search shows he’s maturing
nicely and thoroughly enjoying his working role.”
Training Scout would not have been possible without the
support of the entire Search & Rescue Team.
During the training process, team members acted as
casualties, hiding in various locations across MFRS’
Training & Development Academy, including inside
buildings, under rubble and in barrels.
Now a fully qualified UK asset, Scout and Niamh could be
deployed anywhere in the country, as well as locally.
Niamh added: “Scout also passed his Association of Chief
Police Officers (ACPO) licence for open searching in
September, meaning he is licenced to search open areas for
missing persons. This is particularly useful in more rural
areas where he can cover areas very quickly.”
The National USAR grading, held at Lincolnshire Fire &
Rescue Service, consisted of two different scenarios, each
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