1 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Canine Search Specialist Training Unit 5: Scent Theory

2 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training

3 Unit Objective Upon completion of this unit, you will be able to explain the theory of scent as it relates to the canine search for live victims in a collapsed structure

4 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Enabling Objectives Explain the rationale for understanding scent movement Describe the factors that may affect scent Describe how scent is transported away from the victim Plan the search of a collapsed structure to efficiently work canines into scent

5 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Rationale Dogs “see” the world through their nose Scent is 3-dimensional to them Our job is to put them where they can best detect scent

6 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training

7 The Canine Olfactory System

The Nose Knows

9 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Canine Olfactory System Olfactory sensory cell estimates Human = 5 million Canine = 220 million

10 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training CONTRIBUTORS TO HUMAN SCENT COMPLEX Human Scent Sebaceous Sebum, Squalene Respiratory Tract GI Tract Volatile Fatty Acids Amines Bacterial Action K, Cl, Urea, Ca Mg, PO 4, HOH MEOH H 2 SO 4 Volatile Fatty Acids Apocrine Eccrine Other factors: Genetic, Diet, Environment Adipose

Huh?

12 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training What is scent to a canine?

13 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training The Raft Theory Dying/dead, bacteria laden skin cells— called rafts Rafts are shed from Skin Respiratory and digestive tracks

14 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Skin raft loss Approximately 40,000 per minute!

“If one gram of butyric acid was made to evaporate evenly in all the rooms of a ten story office building, a man would barely be able to perceive its existence by standing in one of the rooms. However, if the same gram of butyric acid was diluted to fill the air above the entire city of Hamburg, the dog could still perceive it at an altitude of 300 feet.” William Syrotuck Scent and the Scenting Dog, pg. 13

16 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training How is scent dispersed? The scent is heaviest at the source and dispersed away from the victim in a cone

Scent Dispersal

18 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Influences on Scent Dispersal

Environmental Influences

20 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Environmental Influences Temperature Wind strength and direction Humidity Sun

21 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training

22 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Temperature Hot Cold The temperature of victim versus the temperature of the environment

23 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Wind Strength Direction

24 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Humidity High Low Rain

25 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Sun Clear Overcast Night

Night-time Flows Day-time Patterns

Structural Influences

28 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Structural Influences Building architecture Elevator shafts Closed stairwells Windows Breached floors/walls

29 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Structural Influences (continued) Scent flows well in Broken rubble Light framing Brick

Katrina 2005

31 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Scent Flow and Detection

32 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Scent Flow and Detection The disaster search canine is trained to indicate the presence of a live victim by performing a focused bark alert at the point in the rubble where the strongest live human scent is emitted Bark!

33 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training DETECTION versus LOCATION Dogs are SCENT detectors NOT victim locators!

Scent Flow—Channeling scent cone BARK Solid Slabs Large Chunks

Solid Slabs Large Chunks BARK

36 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Scent Source Detection Be able to interpret your dog’s alert Document Debrief  Handler to STM  Handler to Handler

Scent Flow—Funneling Bark!

Scent Flow—Pooling Bark!

39 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Typical Collapse Patterns Lean-To “V” Pancake Cantilever

40 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Lean-To

41 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training

42 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training “V”

43 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Pancake

45 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Cantilever

46 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training

What is this? Hot Wall Cold Wall

48 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Use your scent knowledge Identify scenting conditions Surveyor’s tape, puff bottles/talc mirror scent pattern Interpret pattern of alerts Send canine from position which maximizes probability of detection

49 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Considerations Hazardous materials Live versus dead Number of victims found Distractions

50 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Questions?

51 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Scent Theory/Air Movement Demonstration

52 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Unit Summary and Evaluation

53 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Unit Summary Explain the rationale for understanding scent movement Describe the factors that may affect scent Describe how scent is transported away from the victim Plan the search of a collapsed structure to efficiently work canines into scent

54 National Urban Search & Rescue Response System Canine Search Specialist Training Unit Evaluation Please fill out the evaluation on this briefing