Difference in technology without standard for unified qualification of disaster rescue dog

A search and rescue dog that finds survivors through a pile of debris and gaps in collapsed houses. As natural disasters occur one after another, there are many opportunities to see their activities. However, there is no unified qualification for dispatching in Japan, and the fact is that private organizations act according to their own rules and their search skills vary. A veteran handler (trainer) who has stepped on many sites complains that "it is necessary to set standards in order to save as many lives as possible." (Daiki Komatsu)

The Fujisawa City-based "Rescue Dog Trainers Association" was also active in the debris flow disaster that occurred in Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture in July. Handler Kaori Oshima (57) and partner Enzo (5-year-old male, Belgian Shepherd) squeeze through the muddy mud and search for someone waiting for help. Mr. Oshima said, "The rescue dog acceptance system is gradually improving," although he regrets that he could not work as expected due to the danger of a secondary disaster.

According to Hidehiro Murase (68), the president of the association, the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake was the catalyst for raising awareness of rescue dogs in Japan. It is said that NPO corporations were formed one after another due to the influence of many rescue dog teams from overseas who came to support us.

Even so, in the 2004 Mid Niigata Prefecture Earthquake, even though Mr. Murase and his colleagues arrived on the day of the earthquake, they were able to participate in the search activity on the third day. "72 hours", when the survival rate is said to drop sharply, was approaching. "I'm not familiar with rescue dogs, and people in the disaster area probably didn't know if we could get them on the scene," he recalls.

In the 18th Hokkaido earthquake, some teams worked with insufficient equipment such as not wearing a helmet. It is said that there were troubles such as drinking alcohol at night and making noise, and the dog disappearing during the search.

Test pass conditions Regarding the competence of handlers and rescue dogs, there is a test by an accredited organization of the "International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG)", whose secretariat is the United Nations and is responsible for coordinating rescue teams in each country. In Europe and the United States, passing this test is a condition for activities at disaster sites in Japan and overseas.

The world's largest volunteer organization, the International Rescue Dog Organization (IRO), will spend 36 hours testing in an environment that mimics a disaster site. Not only search skills, but also knowledge and skills such as camp life with a tent and first aid when a rescue dog is injured are tested. Successful applicants will be under the adjustment of INSARAG at the actual site, so the communication system can be unified.

Mr. Murase, who was a police dog handler, participated in the world championship in Germany about 30 years ago, and at the same time he was keenly aware of the difference in level, he was taught that the disaster rescue dog is the "ultimate detection dog". Continuing his own studies and raising dogs, eight years ago, he opened the "Yatsugatake International Rescue Dog Breeding Center" in Fujimi Town, Nagano Prefecture. He also conducts international-level exams and invites other organizations to participate.

Currently, Mr. Murase is the only one in Japan who has received international dispatch certification from his partner Bunjiro (7-year-old male, Giant Schnauzer) and IRO, and has become a judge for international examinations. "If you teach us the joy of finding dogs, dogs will grow beyond our imagination. First, we want to create a unified domestic qualification and use the power of dogs to save lives."