Inclement Weather services

Inclement weather driving has begun! Over the last couple days, CCSOSAR members have been available to provide transportation for staff at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center, as well as several County, State and Federal Offices. This year there were about 40 requests for transportation.

CCSOSAR to host HRD Training Seminar


UPDATE: DUE TO AN OVERWHELMING RESPONSE, REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED. WE WILL BE REACHING OUT TO THOSE WHO HAVE APPLIED WITH AN UPDATE.

Registration is now open for the HRD K9 Seminar in Clark County, WA, hosted by the Clark County Search and Rescue Team. Applications can be found and submitted at the following link:

https://forms.gle/1QKmS3zzjzsxSfvJA

Instructor Bios:

Dr. Michael BEN Alexander began dog training in 1972 at the age of 8 training his parents GSD’s for confirmation, obedience and later schutzhund. Ben has continued training dogs for a variety of venues over the years, settling with search and rescue dogs in 2000 and has dedicated his life to the furthering the science behind the dogs since 2010.
Ben began teaching at seminars in 2010 after being encouraged to do so by his own mentors Shirley Hammond, Cheryl Kennedy, Ann Christensen and others. In 2013, through his research at the forensic anthropology center at Texas state (FACTS), he began a pilot seminar program which developed into the robust K9 training program that now exists at Texas State. Ben is the FACTS K9 training coordinator. While he still continues to do seminars and certifications across the country he has focused his efforts on providing one of the best learning environments in the United States for cadaver dog teams at FACTS. However he is always available for consultation and strongly believes in the service cadaver dog teams provide to their community.
Tiffanie Turner has over 35 years of experience in animal training. Currently she is a Large Animal Radiology Technologists for Texas A&M University Veterinary Teaching Hospital and teaches 4th year vet students. She has been an instructor for the Forensic Anthropology Center AtTexas State University HRD canine program since its inception and helped develop the program protocols and structure. She has also worked with zoos and researchers in effort to protect wildlife by training conservation dogs nationally and internationally to detect invasive and endangered plants and animals.
Tiffanie Turner began her SAR career in 2004 with a Border collie mix named “Fanta” who would go on to be recognized as the National Association for Search and Rescue’s K9 of the year in 2010 for her outstanding work on multiple recoveries. Tiffanie has trained 4 nationally certified wilderness HRD dogs (NNDDA, NASAR, and NAPWDA) and began in USAR in 2013 with FEMA disaster HRD K9 “Fetch-it”. Tiffanie participated in the recovery efforts for hurricane Ike, the Memorial day floods of 2015, and as well as many missing person searches over the past 13 years.
Tiffanie has presented and instructed at National conferences, pre-conferences and seminars all over the United States. She has taught assisted many handlers in starting their HRD dogs on odor and has also co-authored a chapter on puppy enrichment and differentialrearing in a SAR K9 selection book.
Karen Paquette began her SAR career in 2003 in Pima County, Tucson, AZ, and has deployed on over 150 searches in wilderness, urban, water, and support of law enforcement investigations. She and K9 Matilda were one of the Hirst K9 teams in Arizona to certify with NASAR Land and Water HRD in 2010, and later that year with IPWDA HRD and evidence. Karen serves as Training Director with Pima County’s K9SAR team, Southwest Rescue Dogs, Inc., (since 2014). She went through NASAR’s apprenticeship program to become a Lead Evaluator in Land HRD and Area Search (2010). She has achieved NASAR certiHications (and recertiHications) with three canine partners in Land HRD, Water HRD, Area live Hind, as well as IPWDA HRD Land and Crime Scene certiHication. Karen has assisted with FACTS workshops since 2013 serving as wrangler, assistant instructor, and instructor. Karen has planned, assisted with, and instructed at several Arizona State SAR conferences and SAR HRD seminars. Karen has worked with and learned from three canine partners (cattle dog Matilda, male border collie
Archie, female border collie Polly). She is currently learning about the dog sport of Nosework with her fourth partner, border collie Quinnifer. As SRDI training director and as FACTS instructor, Karen has enjoyed the privilege of assisting numerous handlers with training their K9s in HRD and area search live Hind.
Karen has been an educator for 23 years, working mostly in Special Education with students with behavior/emotional disorders, developmental disorders, and learning disabilities. She has also served in leadership capacity as a teacher mentor, coach, curriculum support provider, behavior interventionist, and speciHic academic interventionist. She became a KPA-CTP (Karen Pryor Academy CertiHied Training Partner) in 2018. Karen maintains continuing education requirements by attending conferences and seminars like FACTS, Clicker Expo, webinars, and online learning opportunities. She enjoys gleaning training skills and concepts from sport dog training to adapt and implement in SAR

Fallen Fire Fighter

This morning, members were requested to help with the funeral services for Portland Fire & Rescue Lt. Jerry Richardson, who had a private Celebration of Life service at New Heights Church in Vancouver, WA, at 11:00 am. The Portland Fire Honor Guard presented full fire service honors. #heroes #firefighter #portlandfireandrescue #firstresponders #celebrationoflife