On Saturday, April 19, 2025, urban search and rescue canine teams came together for a collaborative effort between the Department and our partners at the Search Dog Foundation (SDF) at the Del Valle Regional Training Center in Castaic.
Search dogs and their handlers participated and responded to two simulated disaster scenarios that challenged the teams physically and mentally. The urban search and rescue (USAR) teams followed protocol and procedures to communicate with the parties seeking help, assessed active hazards that prevented entry, and planned their search operations approach. The search dogs, with their incredible scent-detection capabilities, searched in and around crushed vehicles, concrete tunnels, and climbed atop a pile of rubble, debris, and structures almost three stories high.
Once they identified a potential trapped patient, the canine partners alerted their handler with a series of barks. The search dog’s reward? A chew toy from the handler’s snack bag and high praise for a job well done.
Training sites were set up at both the SDF campus and the Del Valle Regional Training Center to support and prepare canine teams from across California. An impressive total of 14 teams participated, representing the following USAR Task Forces:
Los Angeles City (CA-TF1)
Los Angeles County (CA-TF2)
Menlo Park (CA-TF3)
Oakland (CA-TF4)
Orange County (CA-TF5)
Sacramento (CA-TF7)
San Diego (CA-TF8)
Additionally, the SDF intentionally selected this training day in remembrance of the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing and in support of preparing new canine teams for future disaster response.
The LACoFD and SDF share the same mission and expresses gratitude for the continued partnership to support and improve regional disaster readiness.
