news - 05/11/2008 European Mission-readiness test Germanuy - Germany
by Paul CechEuropean Mission-readiness test of the „IRO International Rescue Dog Organisation“ in Germany:
Almost one third passed the hard test.
This year almost one third of the competing Rescue dog-Teams passed the hardest Mission-readiness test of the “International Rescue Dog Organisation” in Europe that was carried out in November in Dresden/Germany. 11 out of 36 Recue Dog-Teams from nine Nations successfully completed the challenges.
At this test the teams are accommodated at a camp-site and from the moment of their arrival they have no contact to the outside world. They have to cater themselves- also the dogs, of course – and can be called into deployment any time. Within 5 (!) minutes after the alarm the team has to be mission-ready – regardless which time of the day or night, regardless which weather. In addition there will be a night-orienteering-march which following search for missing persons. Also a theoretical test as well a roping exercise from about 10m height – with the dog strapped around the belly – have to be passed.
At least 70% of the hiding (“buried”) persons have to be found. In addition to the search work of the dogs the work of the dog handler has been particularly evaluated this year.
Dog-Teams from Germany, Denmark, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia and England have passed this test.
The evaluation with a new defined evaluation model was clearly more selective. This might have been the reason that less dog teams have successfully completed the test.
Dr. Wolfgang Zörner, President of the “International Rescue Dog Organisation”: It was an extremely demanding Mission-readiness test. We can´t and also don´t want to lower the level. In the contrary: we do hope that this result has a learning effect to those who want to compete in the future.”
Despite of the selective check for the mission readiness, the number of applications for such a test is much higher than there can be places granted. But those who pass the test belong to the best in the rescue-dog world. Zörner: “We already have a concept how we put these selective Mission-readiness-tests on broader basis so that more rescue-dog teams can take part.”
Mission-readiness-tests on the part of the “IRO International Rescue Dog Organisation” take place worldwide. Just recently there was being held in Korea for the Asia/Pacific region.
