K9 Search And Rescue Team Needs Your Help

The Stewart County K-9 search and rescue team is in need of help to continue to do what they have been doing for so long. My wife is a member of this team and we have two K-9 search dogs. The economy is hurting everyone right now and that has lead to few donations to keep this team going.

Here is some info.

The Stewart County K-9 Unit is a volunteer nonprofit organization whose purpose is to utilize and promote the use of dogs for search and rescue. They assist local, state, or federal agencies with searches for lost or missing persons in wilderness areas, on land or water, or in collapsed structures.

Handlers of the dogs are responsible for the expenses of their dogs and are not paid for their services to the community, but find training and working with the dogs and helping those in need to be rewarding in itself. There has been no official funding for the Unit and it relies on donations for support. Donations are used for equipment and emergency accessories such as pagers, radios, and training expenses.

Since its foundation in 1993, the K-9 Unit has participates in numerous searches in Tennessee (Counties of Stewart, Houston, Montgomery, Dickson, Henry, Cheatham, Benton, Wilson, Weakly) and in Kentucky (Callaway, Trigg, Henderson, Daviess, Butler, Edmondson, Muhlenburg, Christian, Warren, Ohio Counties) in cooperation with local rescue Squads and Sheriffs, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Kentucky State Police, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, Kentucky Department of Emergency Management, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Unit also has responded to calls from the US Army at Ft. Campbell and Ft. Knox.

Although we are all volunteers, we have high professional standards. We train and respond in all weather conditions and seasons. Handlers are encouraged to pursue training and education courses in emergency response and NASAR certification. Each dog must develop skills in obedience, agility, and search techniques. A serious level of commitment is necessary. Two years of training or more is usually necessary before a handler and dog would be considered fully operational. Training is continuous even for experienced dogs and handlers. There are always additional equipment needs and we are always seeking private and commercial sponsors. In 2000, the K-9 Unit was recognized by the Ford Motor Company and Advanced Rescue Technology Magazine as winners in the Ford SuperCrew Competition. To perform at the level of achievement we strive for, we need a wide range of equipment from tents, tools, weather gear, flotation gear, lights, helmets to electronic needs in radios, pagers, GPs devices, and computers. Training courses are an additional expense. Our team members have included Paramedics, EMT's First Responders, and Police Officers. We are grateful to everyone who has contributed to the Unit.

They have also responded to 9/11, Katrina, Ike and many others.

Pics from 9/11: http://www.advancedcanine.com/articles/article18.html


If you want to donate you can send a donation through paypal at
[email protected]

 

He wimped out. :down:

 

What's up with the comments. This is not BS.

 

There was another comment on here. He deleted it. Hence, my comment.

 

Sorry man, they were replying to a jackass post that was deleted.

I'm sorry for the idiots that think everything on the BBS is a joke and fair game.

 

Ok, must have missed it. Sorry

 

That's a bit harsh considering the comment I deleted.

 

Funny, yeah I guess but not everything needs yuck it up commentary. If it was just the single catskill routine I'd have smiled and went about my buisness.

I guess I need to buy a sense of humor today.

 

I take pay pal, I will send it to you tomorrow.

 

Very good organization there. Has your wife or anyone on the unit looked into grants recently? I've seen some dollars going towards similar programs, and it may very well be worthwhile looking into.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/grants_programs.htm

http://www.citizencorps.gov/

Good luck regardless.

 

Thanks for the links she is going to look ito that. They are tech part of the fire services under the fire department. They said they were going to apply for grants but we the K-9 team has heard nothing from them. But I do know the fire department just got a brand new truck.

 

Here is there web-site for more info http://www.sark9unit.org/

 

^^^^^^^

 

The all volunteer fire department in 300 population Elkhart Lake just finished up their all new $4.5 millinion dollar tax payer funded marble and crystal palace they are also planning to use as the fire house. :up:

The world has indeed gone mad.

 

Ya I know. The fire dep. here gets new stuff every year but the K9 team is even having to use radio's from walmart. They work ok but the range sucks.

 

How does the funding for your unit work?

Seems to me like you guys are an integral part of emergency services. I think contacting local media and doing a plea for funding might work as well.

Good luck with the fund raising efforts, you guys do awesome work.

 

Well I personaly think going to the media is not a bad idea but the head honcho will not do it. They can't apply for the grant's and such by them selves they have to do it through the fire dep. since they are tech a branch off of them. The fire dep does not seem to have much interest in helping out the k9 team so at this point everything they do either comes out of donation money or the team members pocket.