Search and Rescue/Recovery (SAR).
The SCFR K-9 program was started in 2017 when department members brought their own trained and certified dogs to join the Rio Grande Basin Heavy Technical Rescue Team. The team is comprised of members of the Sandoval County, Rio Rancho, and Corrales fire departments. K-9 KT and K-9 Quattro were both trained and certified to find lost persons for search and rescue operations as well as human remains detection for recovery and closure.
The program continues to grow in overall number and disciplines. The annual deployments have steadily increased as our reputation of being thorough and professional spreads. The dogs can be deployed across the state as needed for any search scenario to aid fire investigation or law enforcement in addition to their search and rescue response. If your department or agency needs our K-9 resources please contact SCFR dispatch.
Our K9’s are trained and certified in the following disciplines:
- Wilderness Search
- Urban Search
- Air Scent Live Find Search
- Tracking & Trailing
- Human Remains Detection (Cadaver)
- Crisis Response
Shamus specializes in both area search live find for lost persons and human remains detection within varied environments indoors and outdoors including fire scenes.
KT is one of the founding K-9’s and does it all. She is certified in live find area search, tracking/trailing as well as human remains detection. She enjoys water searches the most.
Pippi was concentrating on the German dog sport called Schutzhund. This built her drives and focus for the work. She is currently working on her tracking/trailing certification.
JJ is certified in live find area search. He is also ready to certify in human remains detection. He is very methodical in his searching.
Mini got certified in human remain detection in the fall of 2022. She performs the detection in various environments and also specializes on fire scenes. Mini is the smallest on our team. She loves working and has a sweet nature.
Greta came to us as a puppy from Placitas and was “awarded” to our K9 team. She was certified in tracking/trailing in the spring of 2024. She is currently working on completing her detection training and certifying.
Gingersnap arrived as a puppy in 2022. She is Belgian Malinois. We have raised her and now she is working on getting detection training. She is very agile and quick to make her finds. We are excited to have her on the team.
In Memory Of
Quattro was one of the founding K-9’s of the program. He was certified in both live find area search as well as human remains detection. His strength was in large area live find searches where he would range 100’s of yards ahead in order to catch the scent. He is certainly missed.
Contact:
Shannon Farrell
SFarrell@sandovalcountynm.gov