K9 Teams Partner with Coast Guard to meet Search and Rescue Certification Requirements

Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay and the California Rescue Dog Association, or CARDA, joined forces today to conduct a helicopter hoist training to help CARDA K9 teams meet their search and rescue certification requirements.

The K9 teams participated in a hot-load event, which consisted of loading and unloading teams from the helicopter without shutting the helicopters engine off, which is a certification requirement. CARDA is an organization that trains, certifies, and deploys search dogs to help law enforcement and other agencies search for lost and missing persons. Once a K9 is certified, teams can start responding to requests from law enforcement, but the certification process isn’t easy. Today the K9 encountered some obstacles.

CARDA partners with the California Office of Emergency Services to support agencies through a state-wide dispatch system.