Disasters and accidents require the cooperation of all emergency services and aid organisations. If each organisation is deployed at the right time for the respective purpose, the efficiency in the rescue and recovery of casualties increases significantly. In an emergency, structures are required to ensure that everything runs smoothly – not only in the training of teams, but also in the preparation and follow-up of deployments. 

This is why Human Remains Detection Dog INTERNATIONAL (HRDD International) and the International Search and Rescue Dog Organisation (IRO) have decided to collaborate. With the signing of a partnership agreement by the Chairman of HRDD International, Manfred Burdich, and IRO President Alois Balog, the cooperation was sealed at a meeting in Regensburg.

Locating and rescuing people is the number one priority in disaster relief. However, a deployment does not end with the rescue of the living. The deceased victims of a disaster or accident also have an ethical right to be rescued. Furthermore, those left behind are given the opportunity to find closure. The cooperation between the two organisations closes the gap between the rescue of living people and the recovery of the deceased. The main objective is to improve the effectiveness of rescue and recovery operations worldwide.

The International Search and Rescue Dog Organisation is a global network of 133 national search and rescue dog organisations from 41 countries. Its mission is to promote the training and deployment of search and rescue dogs to save lives. Human Remains Detection Dog INTERNATIONAL, on the other hand, specialises in the training of human remains detection dogs, which are used in the search for deceased victims. HRDD International has established standards for the training and deployment of human remains detection dogs in the civilian sector and is committed to building a network of corresponding aid organisations and search dog teams.

By working together, the two organisations are bundling their resources and expertise. This enables more comprehensive training for both search and rescue dogs and human remains detection dogs. The aim is to improve the skills of the dogs and their handlers to enable them to react more quickly and efficiently in disaster situations. The collaboration will harmonise training standards, develop joint deployment protocols and ensure optimal team coordination.

“This partnership marks a milestone in our efforts to improve rescue and recovery capacities worldwide,” explains IRO President Alois Balog. “By bundling our expertise, we will be able to protect human lives even more effectively.”

HRDD International Chairman Manfred Burdich agrees: “The exchange of research results, technologies and training programmes will enable our teams to locate missing persons more quickly and recover victims with dignity. Together, we can provide invaluable assistance in crisis and disaster situations.”  

Manfred Burdich further emphasises the importance of the collaboration: “Search and rescue dogs are trained to find living people. Their keen sense of smell is not specifically trained for dead victims. Yet the deceased also have a right to be recovered with dignity. We help to end the agonising uncertainty of family members and friends.”

The partnership between HRDD International and the IRO represents the tireless efforts of both organisations for the common good. It will help to further professionalise the work of search and rescue dogs and human remains detection dogs in disaster situations and thus help countless people.