The Taitung County Fire Bureau dispatched two members of its special rescue team, Ko Hung-ju and Lin Chen-hsien, together with three search-and-rescue dogs, to the National Fire Agency’s training center in Nantou County’s Jhushan Township to take part in a rescue dog skill transfer training program. The three search-and-rescue dogs have a highly accute sense of smell. Last week they took the International Rescue Dog Organization (IRO) certification test, scoring an unprecedented success by winning the top three places in Rescue Dog Rubble Search Test A, while Ko and Lin also both gained their dog handlers’ licenses without a hitch. So it was good news for both the men and their dogs, and their colleagues applauded them for the effort, perseverance and aspiration that gained them outstanding scores in the test.
The three Labrador search-and-rescue dogs, Jian-kan, Shiang-he and Xander, were transferred at the beginning of last year from the Central Narcotics Center directly to the Jhushan training center to undergo a skill transfer professional training program that lasted a year and a half. In March of this year, they took part for the first time in the Wanan No. 23 disaster prevention and search-and-rescue drills. Lin says that the IRO certification is extremely strict, and last year 17 groups from all over the world took the evaluation, with only five passing the test. As well as search-and-rescue dogs, dog handlers also need to be certified.
The IRO held its two-day search-and-rescue certification test in Kaohsiung on June 11 and 12. Jian-kan, Shiang-he and Xander did not disappoint, weaving back and forth between the rubble piles to search for their targets, to be awarded with the top three positions in the Rubble Search Test A with high scores, thus directly qualifying to progress from level A to level B. Having heard the good news, their firefighting colleagues cheered for them.
Photo: Chen Hsien-i, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者陳賢義翻攝
Ko said they were able to win medals primarily due to the full support and financial aid provided by the county government and fire bureau, which allowed them to spare no effort to train the dogs without concern. He was also very grateful to the central Taiwan branch of the National Rescue Command Center for graciously transferring skills, allowing them to follow the correct and effective techniques needed to pass the dog handlers’ license test. Promoting search-and-rescue dogs really is a challenge.
(Liberty Times, translated by Zane Kheir)
台東縣消防局派遣兩名台東特搜分隊成員柯宏儒及林晨賢，帶同三隻搜救犬前往消防署在南投縣竹山鎮的消防訓練中心接受搜救犬技訓轉移訓練，三隻搜救犬嗅功不同凡響，日前參加IRO國際搜救犬組織認證考試，囊括瓦礫堆A級前三名的空前佳績，柯、林兩人也順利考取領犬員證照，雙喜臨門，同僚讚聲努力、毅力加用心，才會獲得如此優秀的成績。
健康、祥和、Xander 三隻拉不拉多搜救犬，是在去年初由中部緝毒中心移撥，隨即送往竹山消防訓練中心接受長達一年半技術轉移專業訓練，今年三月間曾首度在萬安廿三號防災搜救演習亮相參演。林晨賢說，IRO認證非常嚴格，去年世界各國計有十七組接受考評，僅五組通過，而且除搜救犬外，領犬員也必須接受認證。
IRO國際搜救犬組織十一、十二日在高雄舉辦一連兩天的搜救犬認證考試，健康、祥和及Xander不負眾望，來回穿梭在雜亂的瓦礫間搜尋目標，分別榮獲搜救犬瓦礫堆A級前三名卓越成績，直接取得A級升B級的跳級考試資格，佳音傳來，打火兄弟狂賀。
柯宏儒說，這次能贏得佳績，縣府和消防局的全力支持及金援是主因，才能無後顧之憂為搜救犬盡份心力，另也非常感謝國搜中部分隊無私的技術轉移，讓他們得以循正確有效技術考取領犬員證照，推廣搜救犬真的很有挑戰性。
(自由時報記者陳賢義)
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