JP 3-50 National Search and Rescue Manual Vol I - US Navy

unlaundered carefully preserved scent article. The dog's
effectiveness may be limited because ground scent will begin
to fade in a short time. It is important that the search area
remain undisturbed until the dogs arrive. If the search is
for snow-buried survivors, most dogs may be used successfully.
Avalanche case histories show that buried victims have
sometimes been located by untrained dogs who happened on the
scene and instinctively joined the search.
b. Air-scenting dogs work free of their handlers in a
sterile search area cleared of all other searchers. The dogs
generally work upwind across the air currents through the
scent core transmitted by the objective. These dogs should
alert if they pass a ground scent, but should continue to
track the air scent. They are usually not limited by rain,
snow or other precipitation that erases ground scent.
B. Incident Command System (ICS). Many local and state agencies
employ ICS to manage their SAR incidents on scene. ICS is a managementby-objectives
system adaptable to any size SAR mission.
1. The following basic components work interactively to provide
direction and control over the incident response:
a. Common terminology.
b. Modular organization.
c. Integrated communications.
d. Unified command structure.
e. Consolidated action plans.
f. Manageable Span of Control.
g. Predesignated incident facilities.
h. Comprehensive resource management.
The key elements for a successful search mission are unified
command and consolidated action plans.
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