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EMERGENCY CALLOUT INFORMATION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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MARK9 would like to extend a special thank-you to the following Massachusetts corporations and businesses for their generosity and for their great public spirit in dedicating time and resources to MARK9/FEMA MA TF 1 canine teams:

    EMERGENCY CALLOUT INFORMATION 
THANK YOU, BROX INDUSTRIES, INC. , for opening up your active sand and gravel facility and allowing us to train on your rubble piles.   Click here to visit the website for Brox Industries, Inc.

 

 

     EMERGENCY CALLOUT INFORMATION
THANK YOU, ESPECIALLY FOR PETS, INC., for offering to sponsor a future fund-raiser for us which will allow MARK9 canine handlers to attend various educational seminars throughout the coming year.  Click here to visit the website for Especially for Pets, Inc.

 

 

    EMERGENCY CALLOUT INFORMATION
THANK YOU, HIGHLAND ANIMAL HOSPITAL, Dr. Elizabeth Sheperd, Dr. Jeffrey Giles and the rest of the Hospital Staff, for sponsoring K9 Bacco and taking such wonderful care of many of our animals throughout the year.

 

 

     EMERGENCY CALLOUT INFORMATION
THANK YOU, TOWN OF NEEDHAM, for allowing us to build a rubble pile at the Needham Transfer Station so that our dogs may have another training facility in which to perfect their search skills.

 

We could not do what we do without your support.  THANK YOU!

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Especially for Pets is a full-service, neighborhood pet supply house offering pet lovers everything they need to care for their pets.  Please support their support of volunteer organizations by visiting Especially for Pets at any of its several locations in Newton, Acton, Sudbury and Wayland!

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 Brox Industries Logo

A DESCRIPTION OF WHY SPONSORSHIP IS IMPORTANT TO THE SUCCESS OF MARK9'S CANINE TEAMS

Wilderness training is performed regularly in the many state parks located throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  Urban disaster training is conducted at FEMA MA TF 1's technical training facility located in Beverly, Massachusetts.  In addition, several local businesses over the years have allowed access to their facilities for search dog training.  This allows the canines to be challenged by new and different surroundings, which is a significant benefit in the overall preparation of qualified search dog teams.  Brox Industries, Inc. permits search dog teams affiliated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency ("FEMA"), Urban Search and Rescue Task Force, Beverly MA-01 ("FEMA MA-TF 1") to use its rubble piles for the purpose of training.

 

We would like to take the opportunity to thank Brox Industries for its generosity and public spirit.  FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue Task Force has been a major search and rescue resource in our country for many years. Search dog teams sponsored by FEMA have responded to many of the recent national disasters including Hurricanes Andrew and Hugo, the San Bernardino earthquake and the Oklahoma City and World Trade Center bombings. Dogs capable of working in the chaos and confusion of these types of major incidents require a great deal of training. While some of the training can be done in the relative solitude of one's backyard or other dog-oriented training centers, disaster dog training by necessity requires the dog to become familiar with the environmental features it will likely encounter in an actual emergency situation -- dusty, wobbly and uneven footing; broken, ragged concrete blocks and rebar; and tunnels and caverns formed from collapsed building materials. Not only must a disaster dog feel comfortable running around on top of rubble piles (and be willing to follow human scent into the pile if necessary), a disaster dog must not be distracted by the noise of heavy equipment and must learn to ignore the presence of rescue personnel who may be attempting to extricate trapped victims.  The bustle and commotion generally associated with an active sand and gravel facility makes it the perfect venue for training disaster dogs. The rubble piles provide the dog with experience on unpleasant footing and helps the dog develop spatial acuity. Training during working hours exposes the dog to unfamiliar workers and heavy equipment which mimic an actual rescue event. FEMA search dog teams in California regularly train at local sand and gravel facilities, including the Philadelphia Gravel Company located in Ontario, California.

 

The bottom line in disaster work is that a search dog that will not locate human scent because it is concerned with its safety is useless. As disaster dogs do not become comfortable on rubble piles without "paws-on" experience, the opportunity to train at Brox Industries' various rubble piles is invaluable in helping to train qualified disaster dogs.

 

FEMA MA-TF 1 and MARK9 therefore applauds the willingness of Brox Industries to permit FEMA search dog teams access to its facilities for authorized search dog training during off-shift hours. In so doing, Brox Industries is providing a great public service by helping to develop a valuable emergency resource should the need for FEMA search dog services ever arise.

 

Other local businesses which have contributed materials or training opportunities over the years that have aided in the training of search dog teams include:

  • Massachusetts Water Resource Authority

  • Bardon Trimount, Inc.

  • Testa Construction Company

  • Weston Tennis & Racket Club, Inc.

If your business or company is able to support our efforts, please contact MARK9 by email at:

mole@morris.net

 

 

 

 

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