Our Search and Rescue team went to a Field Day event in Greenville,IL on June 23rd for a Membership Meeting,Communications Exercise, K9 Training event.
Okaw Valley Amateur Radio club outs on the ARRL Field day and usually request a Emergency Public service Agency because they gain extra points in the event.
We arrived at 8 am Sat morning and begin to set up, This was even before the Okaw Valley Amateur Radio club gets there to set up. We set up 1 pop up, K9 Cooling station, tents and such and stage the vehicles for display.
We help Okaw valley set up their portable tower and such and begin the day. Our team starts off with a Team Business meeting, promotions before taking the K9's for swim exercises, K9's must be able to swim on command and fetch items from the water when asked to do so.
We spent time with the K9's on basic obedience skills which Cosmo had really advanced in such as a stay command, Captain Perkins walked Bumper ( Bloodhound ) around Cosmo stepping over cosmo and walking away attempting to call him off his stay, ( He should not move unless I call him off ) A+ .... we also worked on climbing ladders and slides on the playground, Cosmo walks up ladders fine but had a little difficulty on the Round pipe type rungs on the play ground ladders but loves the slides. once cosmo seen how and what to do on the water dive portion if the trainings he took right to it, we can point an area out "go Check" and the K9 will go to the area you point and check for HRD ( Cadaver ) or a floating Item and bring it back, you don't let them see you throw it in the water then work with the K9 to get him/her to get the Item you point at and say "Go Check" or "Bring It".
Later in the afternoon we hear thunder and begin to see lightning, I go down to help the Amateur Radio club to cover Equipment ( thousands of dollars ) I see a wind blown mist come off the far part of the lake and I watch as it begins to take form and ho from horizontal to vertical with heavy rotation, SHIT !! I say a F**in tornado as it takes a larger form picking up water ( Water Spout) it creeps across that lake at an angle away from us, I know the Mico Burst is immanent, I take off up the hill ( 100 Yrds ) and about the time I reach the K9's it hits. Winds in excess of 50 MPH rain blowing Horizontal.
The team had dropped the pop up to a lower level abt 5 ft high, I get underneath and grab a corner just in time, as it is raised about 6 inches. The other K9 handlers are hanging on as well to help protect the K9's. Ron the operations captain is trying to hold the other pop up with no avail, It is trashed and wraps around him and hits him in the face.
Rain is coming down so hard and with force we are Having to take one hand and press against the tarp to roll the ponds of water collecting on top to keep the weight off the Roof braces. We are soaked and the wind and rain continues to gust and blow for another 10 min.
as things calm down I take pictures of the Twisted pop up Ron was protecting, We did a head count and all were accounted for with 1 minor injury from the pop up.
we don't get to choose when and where we do a search so the team decided we would complete the training, Josh a Probationary member and my self went out to lay a trail for the blood hound, I was training josh how to lay a trail, we went through some rough stuff including saw grass, marshes across 2 creeks, peeing in a creek to send the scent down the creek ( Makes the K9 have to work harder ) across some ball cypress stumps up a 45 degree incline cutting through some black berry bushes and sat in an opening.
I hear them tracking up calling me some pretty harsh words LOL as they cross some of the obstacles including a 15 ft high 300 yard long muddy pile of clay and dirt..... and the blood hound pulled them across it.
anyway in 2 hrs we were found, we returned to camp and had discussions about the mock search and decided to call it a night. We packed it all up and headed to my house, Secret Desire ( CT NAME ) made dinner for everyone while everyone took a shower one by one.
it was a harsh training but we made it through even though mother nature threw the book at us.... I have pictures posted in my album marked Tri-State Search and Rescue Event
http://www.cherrytap.com/images.php?u=165815&albumid=418103
Take care, Time to rest...
