Search & Rescue Dog working after Hurricane Katrina
When many
of the worst disasters strike anywhere
in the United States or around the world,
Urban Search &
Rescue Teams are among the first to be mobilized
to help save lives!
There
are only 28 FEMA
certified Urban Search & Rescue Teams in the
US,
and two of them are "in our backyard":
Montgomery County,
MD and Fairfax County, VA
Their deployments have included:
National
Hurricanes
Katrina & Rita; 9-11 (Pentagon); Oklahoma City Bombing;
Northridge Earthquake (CA)
Local
Train
Collisions; Trench Collapses; Structure & Building Failures;
Confined Space Incidents
International
Earthquakes;
US Embassy Attacks; Hurricanes
With
tight budgets and a world where terrorism is a constant threat
and Mother Nature unexpectedly wreaks havoc, it is harder than
ever to keep the Teams
fully equipped to maintain optimum training and safety levels.
Maryland
Bichon Frise Rescue, Inc. is leading a community service project
to aid the
working dogs on the Urban Search & Rescue Teams from Montgomery
County, MD and Fairfax County, VA.
These teams
are two of only 28 FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces
responding to catastrophic events involving the collapse of
heavy steel and concrete construction
throughout the United States and its territories. These teams
are also available to respond to
disasters that may occur throughout the world.
"How
Can I Help?"
The Team Leaders of the two area Urban Search
and Rescue Teams have provided a "Wish List" of items
they need:
| • Temperature Monitoring Systems |
• Specialized K9 Medical Kits |
| • GPS Systems |
• Cool Mats |
| • Solar Cloth Covers |
• Collapsible Crates |
| • Video Cameras (to record training) |
• Leather Tugs & Leashes |
Items will be purchased based on the Teams'
priorities. Costs will be negotiated with manufacturers/vendors
to receive the best price possible.
To Donate
Money
If you would like to donate to Maryland Bichon Frise Rescue, Inc.
to help raise funds for the FEMA-certified Urban Search & Rescue
teams of Montgomery County, MD & Fairfax County, VA,
download and complete this form:
DONATION FORM
To Donate
Frequent Flyer Miles
If you have frequent flyer miles for AirTran,
American Airlines, Delta, United or US Airways, you can donate them to the
K9 Teams for transportation to training facilities across the
US.
Different cities have different types of rubble piles the teams
need to work in for their training.
If you donate your miles, they won't have to pay out of their
own pockets to travel with their dogs for this specialized training!
If
you have miles to donate, please
email Jill at bichonbash@omrdc.com for further information.
Sniffing through the devastation of Hurricane Katrina
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