About Us...
| Members... Sandy Vernlund - BCK9SAR "Ground Pounder" Instructor, NASAR SAR TECH II and MLPI, CERT Member, Certified CERT Instructor, NASAR Hug-A-Tree Presenter. Member of NAPWDA, NASAR, NASDN, NSDA, SARDUS. NSDA Education Committee. Sandy has two operational dogs. "Shadow" AKC CGC and certified for air-scent with NASAR Type II '07, NAPWDA '06,'07,'08,and NASDN '07. "Bodasafa" AKC CGC is certified for Tracking/Trailing with NAPWDA '07,'08 and NASDN '08. Karen Belau - Trained "Ground Pounder", K9 Flanker. Karen works at South Dakota State University as a Veterinary Science Lab Technician. CERT Member. Mary DeLeeuw - Trained "Ground Pounder", Member of CERT and NASDN, Mary has one operational dog: "Rosie", AKC CGC and certified for air scent with NASDN '08. Formerly worked as Deputy Clerk of Courts (Criminal Division) and past experience as Firefighter, Veterinary Technician and EMT. Eric Peterson - Trained "Ground Pounder". Currently training his American Pit Bull Terrier "Eve" for Tracking and Trailing. Seth Klentz - Trained "Ground Pounder". Former Eagle Scout and "Jar Head" (Marine) and currently working at the Brookings Powershop Gym. Currently training his American Pit Bull Terrier "Kash" for Tracking and Trailing. Megan Klentz - Former Marine and currently working as an EMT for the Brookings Health System. Currently on leave with Megan and Seth's new little baby, Kanin. Megan and Seth are both involved with "Pit Rescue of the Great Plains" helping to rescue and rehome Pit Bulls in need. Associate Members - Must believe in what we do and be willing to assist with larger or more difficult searches. Sue Bullard - Trained "Ground Pounder". Currently has Australian Shepherd/Retreiver mix named "Lucy" in training for Air Scent. AKC CGC. Kathy Conner - CERT Member. Rhonda Bassett - NASAR SAR TECH III. Currently has GSD named "Gracie" who is ready for SAR certification. AKC CGC. Karen Cameron-Howell - Karen is an AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Evaluator and assists the team with obedience, socialization and agility training. She also shows some very beautiful boxers. Go BJ! Keith Schram - CERT Member, trained "Ground Pounder". Jodi Brenden - Trained "Ground Pounder". Roxie Nelson - CERT Member, trained "Ground Pounder". Nichole Nelson - CERT Member, trained "Ground Pounder". Helen Thune - CERT Member, trained "Ground Pounder". Counselor. DJ Mittan - CERT Member, trained "Ground Pounder", EMT. Sarita Hartmann - CERT Member, trained "Ground Pounder". |
| At a minimum... All members of Brookings County Search and Rescue must also be active members of Brookings CERT. At a minimum, all K9 handlers must have completed the following prior to deployment:
AKC-CGC test and at least one national certification prior to deployment. Contact us for complete information about Brookings County K9 Search and Rescue Standards. |
Types of Search Dogs
Tracking Dogs—these dogs basically follow the subject’s footsteps. They are oriented to the mixture of human scent and ground disturbance
where they walked.
Trailing Dogs—these dogs are oriented to the cells that have fallen to the ground along the subject’s route. This dog may work some distance
from the actual trail due to wind conditions.
Air Scent Dogs—these dogs can work very large areas off lead. These dogs are oriented to airborne human scent and work into the wind. Air
Scent dogs can be worked at night. Most Air Scent dogs do a “recall/refind”. When the dog finds the subject, they return to the handler, indicate or
“tell” them they found someone and lead the handler back to the subject.
* HRD (Human Remains Detection) or CADAVER—These K-9s are trained to find bodies that have been buried, hung, burned, submerged or
scattered in an area. These dogs can work over land and water that is several feet deep.
trail, the handler will want to have the article verified as having been in the victim’s possession to ensure the trail is being followed.
Tracking Dogs—these dogs basically follow the subject’s footsteps. They are oriented to the mixture of human scent and ground disturbance
where they walked.
Trailing Dogs—these dogs are oriented to the cells that have fallen to the ground along the subject’s route. This dog may work some distance
from the actual trail due to wind conditions.
Air Scent Dogs—these dogs can work very large areas off lead. These dogs are oriented to airborne human scent and work into the wind. Air
Scent dogs can be worked at night. Most Air Scent dogs do a “recall/refind”. When the dog finds the subject, they return to the handler, indicate or
“tell” them they found someone and lead the handler back to the subject.
* HRD (Human Remains Detection) or CADAVER—These K-9s are trained to find bodies that have been buried, hung, burned, submerged or
scattered in an area. These dogs can work over land and water that is several feet deep.
trail, the handler will want to have the article verified as having been in the victim’s possession to ensure the trail is being followed.
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To be a Trained BCK9SAR
Ground Pounder, you must
have completed our basic
training that includes: Grid
Searching Techniques, Clue
Awareness, Basic Tracking,
Knot Tying, Compass, and Topo
Map reading. Training must also
include Crime Scene
Preservation training with a
deputy from the Brookings
County Sheriff's Department.
This training is only held once a
year.
Ground Pounder, you must
have completed our basic
training that includes: Grid
Searching Techniques, Clue
Awareness, Basic Tracking,
Knot Tying, Compass, and Topo
Map reading. Training must also
include Crime Scene
Preservation training with a
deputy from the Brookings
County Sheriff's Department.
This training is only held once a
year.
| Ground Pounders |
| We are currently not taking any more members at this time. We want to concentrate on training new members and dogs, while advancing the existing dogs. Thank you for your interest and we will post when we are taking members again. |
