2017 has been Sarda’s most successful year to date.
Alex Fraser Group continually support SARDA teams by providing technical rescue sites to assist the teams in canine rescue in readiness for any emergency that may arise; whether it be collapsed buildings, or general building searches. They continue the financial support for workshops that SARDA conduct on a regular basis. These sites are; Aradale Asylum 2017 where they provided funding for New Zealand Search Dog Association Trainers Brenda Woolley and Tim Drennan to conduct this workshop over 4 days.
SARDA is conducting their annual Disaster Canine Workshop in November (Melbourne Cup weekend) where Alex Fraser Group provided the funding to accommodate UK-Cheshire Fire Office and Canine Assessor Steve Buckley who will be on hand to instruct participants in Emergency Management and deployment requirements. The ideal sites for this workshop are again provided by Alex Fraser Group at their Laverton North recycle site including office and meeting facilities.
Team training has been constant with SARDA founder/trainer Julie Cowan attending two disaster canine workshops in Indiana USA funded by Alex Fraser Group. These workshops are valuable resources to keep up with the latest technique and responses required by any emergency service personnel.
New training sites have been really successful by providing variances in strategy and sequence for the handlers and canines. Many thanks must go to Melbourne Polytechnic for providing Aradale Asylum – Ararat and Preston Tafe for building searchs for the SARDA teams.
CFA Dandenong – B Platoon has continued their support by conducting regular HART-High Angle Rescue Team training giving the dogs and handlers exposure to being repelled or platformed to the roof of a building.
Julie Cowan and Tank, Anne Forwood and BB are regularly invited to present SARDA to Probus, RSL clubs and other service groups in the Melbourne Metro area and the Mornington Peninsula.
SARDA is regularly invited to State Emergency Services training evenings where they combine in a mock search and are taught how to conduct a search involving a canine team. The support SARDA receives from these Emergency Service agencies is well received and we will continue to build on these strategies.
