Reflection

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 Is SCVSAR K9 Team a Good Community Service Program?

I completely understand how I can be biased towards loving SCVSAR K9 as I have been with them since 2017. I will try my best to stay factual instead of my opinion of this insanely dedicated, entertaining, amazing people. I was never given the opportunity to be a community service volunteer myself with SAR (before and after joining), but please take my knowledge of working with hundreds of these students over the years and how the team works with them as my experience. 

HRD handlers and Field Support doing a tour at the Snohomish County Medical Examiners Office. 

They are really accomidating towards students who need community service hours for graduation. Compared to animal shelters or similar community service locations who require weeks worth of training in order to obtain hours, SCVSAR isn't like that. You are able to start recieving hours right away. In 2018, the team was approached by Snohomish High School students who needed community service hours for graduation. The K9 Team accepted students here and there to spend a day with them. Now in 2021, we have students from Granite Falls, Snohomish, Sultan, Marysville High Schools and now Bellingham Technical College! 

Since the team never leaves without a plan, they would count time communicating with the Training Planner on where training was, how long, what was needed, etc. in the total hours served. The team also counted driving time. All students recieved a temporary DEM # to come to training. This number gives them temporary insurance through the state. If a student got into a car accident while returning home from training, they would be covered by the state since we are state and county employees, therefore driving time counts as time "training". 

SAR21 is the K9 Team's truck which I'm learning to drive! This is a beast of a truck.

SCVSAR K9 has two offical training days a week (Saturday and Sunday) which usually last from 8:00am to 3:00pm. The days are long but there is little to no down time where you are standing around. Due to the long training days, many students who needed 20 hours of community service hours, like us BTC Students, we could finish all required hours in three training days. The Trailing group is also more than accommodating to travel to a student's location, no matter the county. They love working around scent pools from a student's work or house. Hours are extremely easy to obtain. 

The team is extremely friendly and care for the well being of  the student. The volunteer is never alone. They are always within shouting or visual ditance of a team member. The team includes the student in every aspect they would themselves be in-- hiding for airscent and trailing, radio communications, navigating, patient assessment, safety, etc. The group also shares information to community service volunteers about safety in the PNW which includes but is not limited to building shelters, what to do if a search dog finds you, how to survive in the woods, how to hike safely, and many more topics. 

 
Faith playing with K9 Ginnis after his find!

Helping Heather hide from K9 Zane! 

The team will often extend a hand to join or have the community service volunteer come back from time to time. Although three trainings and 20 hours isnt enough time to fully grasp what Search and Rescue truly is, it is a great opportunity to see how passionate these crazy dog people are at saving those lost of Snohomish County--

"So Others May Live" 

SCVSAR Academy Summer 2021

No matter your experience in the woods or city, Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue K9 Team is a great organization to do one's community service hours with who gives their all to their guests. 

 

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