Ventura County Fire Department dogs get special training

Ventura County Fire Department is spending the week training with Search and Rescue dog units, preparing everyone in case of a disaster.

Dogs are learning what to do when a victim is trapped inside of a vehicle covered in rubble.

“What she is trying to do is trying to find the scent that she cannot see, but that she can smell,” said Eric Darling, who has been a K9 search specialist with Ventura County Fire for nearly 10 years.

This is just one of many exercises that will take place at the Ventura County Fire training center in Camarillo. Men and women from Regional Task Force 7 are learning how to work with Search and Rescue dogs.

“What I am actually going to be showing the students is the importance of the work that they are doing that allows our K9s to come in there, to do a live search for people that are still alive and trapped in buildings, or if we are doing body recovery,” said Darling.

When the dogs locate a body they alert the handler with three barks. The week-long training course is known as Rescue System 2. It has been taking place for nearly 10 years.

“Being able to have a course like this before the season really kicks off and letting them see the dogs work allows us to build a game plan,” said Darling.

The men and women taking this course are learning how to make the proper size access holes for the dogs, and also making sure that the building and structures the dogs are going into are safe.

“Our dogs are trained either by life find or human remains and this allows them to do two different functions,” said Darling. “It is one job per dog, and we represent Ventura County when we go out for the disasters or deployment.