A real nose for it; dogs, handlers develop skills during summit at Two Mile Run
More than 150 people and over 100 dogs gathered Friday at Two Mile Run County Park for the Pennsylvania Search and Rescue Council’s annual training summit, marking the first time the event has been held in western Pennsylvania.
The summit, which began Thursday and runs through today, has drawn participants from across Pennsylvania as well as New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and Kentucky.
Organizers said the move west expands access for teams that previously traveled to central Pennsylvania locations, such as Manheim.
“This is the first time it’s been this far west,” said treasurer Lou Ann Pomposelli, of Crafton, noting the event was organized largely through outreach on social media.
About 124 participants, 26 instructors and more than 100 dogs were registered by Friday morning, Pomposelli said. All instructors and staff are volunteers, helping keep the training affordable.
Search-and-rescue teams — including Pennsylvania Mountain Rescue, Northeast Search and Rescue and the New Jersey Rescue and Recovery K9 Unit — are participating.
Handlers and their dogs are training in a range of disciplines, from beginner to advanced.
Outdoor exercises include human-remains detection, air-scent searches and trailing.
One trailing scenario is being conducted off-site at Bandstand Park in Franklin, which is a more urban setting that simulates real-world conditions.
A highline station also allows handlers to be lowered by rope, with or without their dogs.
Pomposelli said air-scent dogs are trained to locate any human scent in an area, while trailing dogs follow an individual’s scent using a personal item.
Training on human remains detection exposes dogs to specific odors.
Indoor sessions cover topics such as navigation and mapping, canine first aid, crime scene preservation, wilderness first aid and other emergency response skills.
Organizers began planning the event in August after connecting with park staff, whom Pomposelli called “a good fit” for the training needs.
She said the group has been able to use multiple park facilities, including the campground, to host attendees.
“We are so appreciative of the staff at Two Mile,” Pomposelli said.
Pennsylvania Search and Rescue Council President Kathy Otruba, of Penn Hills, said certifying a search-and-rescue dog typically takes at least a year and a half, depending on the breed and time invested in training.
Among those attending was Slippery Rock University sophomore Kody Blough, of Hermitage, who is studying park and resource management, and participated in a wilderness first-aid class.
“When it comes to something like this, I’m not going to do it online. I wanted hands-on,” said Blough, who is seeking more opportunities to get involved in wilderness rescue training.