Goals

Already Accomplished:

• Dog / handler teams certified (Maya Nussli, evaluator) on Canada Day Weekend, 2006.  Click here to see Standards of Certification and Ms. Nussli's qualifications as evaluator.

In Progress:

• Certification Testing yearly (twice-a-year opportunities, early and late summer).
• Regular team dog and handler training sessions for wilderness search and rescue situations in various weather and landscapes.  Dogs:  air scenting primary focus.  Handlers:  first aid, search techniques, map and compass, GPS, etc. 
• Encouragement of handler self-organization for dog training (ie, handlers training regularly outside of team training times).
• Development of constitution in progress.
• Development and maintenance of public education about our team.
• Contact with RCMP, RNC, and NLSARA / inter-agency relationships.
• Fundraising
• Establishment of equipment base useful to the team such as maps, radios, GPS and vehicles.
• Ongoing winter Avalanche/snow search techniques.

Short-Term Goals:

• Become a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Search and Rescue Association
• Begin water search training techniques.
• Begin twice-yearly intake/recruitment of new dogs and handlers so as to maintain manpower levels for the future.
• Continue to build numbers of certified dog/handler teams.

Long-Term Goals:

• Provide consistent support to law enforcement and volunteer SAR efforts in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador by providing highly trained dogs and handlers to help in wilderness and water Search and Rescue situations.
• Maintain a team of 5-10 dog/handler units that are able to deploy throughout Newfoundland and Labrador within two hours of call-out.