ReZoom

Region #9: Milwaukee, WI

People and Paws serves parts of Wisconsin, the Midwest and even other areas of the country with trained people and dogs to aid in finding missing persons. For no charge, the volunteers assist law enforcement, fire departments and other government agencies in crisis moments to search for missing persons both in individual cases and during natural disasters. The organization's dogs, handlers and searchers all undergo extensive classes. This organization also prides itself upon giving back to the community with search-and-rescue training and education for community groups.

Winning Regional Essay

"People and Paws Search and Rescue" is a 100 percent volunteer, 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2000 to provide highly trained personnel and K9 teams to assist law enforcement, fire departments, and other government agencies in the search for missing/lost person cases and/or disasters. The team uses dogs that are certified to nationally recognized standards to follow the trail of a specific human scent, to locate human remains, and to locate a human scent in the wilderness or a collapsed building. Team members have extensive specialized training and equipment that is not otherwise available to public safety agencies. As a local organization based out of Milwaukee, WI, the team primarily responds to requests within three hours of Milwaukee. However, because of the specialized skills and training possessed by the team, the team has responded to requests as far North as the U.P. of Michigan and as far South as the Gulf Coast."

"All resources are provided to requesting government agencies at no cost to the agency, taxpayers, or the family. The team is solely funded by the members, and support from the community to cover the significant expenses related to ongoing training (most is only available out-of-state), equipment, and the costs related to a search and rescue mission. Over the past seven years, the team has successfully assisted multiple local, state, and federal agencies. During one of the latest deployments, members assisted a police department in a missing person case where an individual disappeared without a trace."

"Within hours of arriving on-scene, the K9 teams successfully worked with local police to determine and confirm points where the individual was last seen, and then tracked the scent to a body of water nearby. Additional K9 teams then confirmed a location in the water, this information was supplied to the dive team, which then made a successful recovery in less than 30 minutes underwater in conditions with less than 5" of visibility. While the end of this case was tragic, the team was able to bring closure to the case and allow the family to grieve, knowing where their loved one was, and not left to wonder for days, weeks, months or years. Your support is greatly needed and appreciated!"

If They Won the $100,000 National Award ...

"Scenario 2: It's 3 a.m. you go to check on your 2-year-old son, and he isn't in his bed. After a frantic call to the police, a search & rescue canine team shows up, sniffs your son's pillow and takes off into a nearby woods. Your son is located a short distance from the house after "he just wanted to go to the park."

"When time is critical, People & Paws Search & Rescue has the resources necessary to find these missing people quickly and efficiently, regardless of the time of day or situation. Your vote will help our team to continue to provide the resources and training we need to be prepared when we answer that call."

"Since 2000, People and Paws Search and Rescue Inc. has been at the forefront of providing assistance to law enforcement, fire departments, and other government agencies to locate missing and/or lost persons as well as aid in time of disasters through a team of highly trained personnel and nationally certified K9 teams."

"In Wisconsin, as in most states, volunteer Search and Rescue teams are private entities that work for emergency services. These teams provide their services at no cost to the requesting agency, to taxpayers, or to the victims. As a non-profit, 100 percent volunteer force, this requires a tremendous commitment of time and money from members."

"The team is dedicated to ensuring that, when someone goes missing or a disaster strikes, local and state emergency services quickly have the resources to provide the highest probability of success. This philosophy and commitment extends beyond the team through its members. Our members have been actively involved in various organizations at the local, state, and national level to increase awareness of this specialized resource, as well as increasing the level of training and skills possessed by these resources. Beyond the team, members have also actively participated in the development of a state-wide association of other volunteer teams. One of the team's founders, Geoff Gardiner, has been asked to co-lead the development of the K9 component of the State of Wisconsin Urban Search and Rescue Task Force."

"Handlers train and certify their K9 partners to national standards in one of the following disciplines:

1. Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) – These K9's are trained extensively to search for persons trapped in a collapsed structure (earthquake, tornado, hurricane, terrorist acts, etc). A properly trained K9 can search a collapsed two story structure and locate victims in minutes while human searchers may take several hours to locate someone if the victim is unconscious and unable to call out. Our team has a custom built rubble pile and agility course (Rubble Town Milwaukee) that exceeds the FEMA requirements. This was the first of its kind in Wisconsin, and is one of only a small number of custom built training facilities in the U.S. for training disaster K9 teams.

2. Trailing/Tracking – These K9's are trained to follow a scent from a scent article ( a person's clothing or other personal item) and follow a scent trail (trailing) or the exact step by step path (tracking). They are used to locate missing persons such as children, or Alzheimer's patients that may have wandered away from home.

3. Human Remains Detection (HRD) - The least "glorious" discipline, but vitally important to families looking for closure, these K9's are trained to locate the scent of decomposing human remains buried, at or above ground level, or in water."

What a difference $100,000 could make ...
"The costs to properly certify and continually train a dog for search and rescue work are substantial. Depending on the specific type of search and rescue K9, costs can range from $10,000 to $20,000 per K9. Handlers training for live find disaster work need to attend the "Disaster Canine Search Specialist," a 46-hour course offered only at a limited number of locations in the US, none in the Midwest. This course costs $1,500 not including travel expenses, and is just one part of the training and certification process. Presently, our team possesses the only certified SUSAR (State Urban Search and Rescue) Type II disaster K9 in the State of Wisconsin and is presently working with another handler to qualify a second USAR K9. Our goal is to have six qualified disaster K9's, which will dramatically increase a survivors chance of being found and rescued if deployed after events such as tornadoes or collapsed structures."

"Every one to two years handlers must re-certify their K9 as well as continually attend training and seminars that are commonly offered out-of-state to maintain their high level of readiness. By the time voting begins, we will have sponsored our first multi-team training and certification event. This will allow teams to certify to a national standard through Law Enforcement Training Specialists ("LETS") as well as new K9's to receive instruction from one of the nation's most respected and qualified trainers. This opportunity has been made possible with the use of our Regional Award from ReZoom.com. We are also working on plans to bring another nationally recognized expert in Canine Forensics and Human Remains Detection to Wisconsin this fall for the benefit of several teams. These training courses generally cost several hundred dollars per K9 per course."

"Fully 70 percent of our calls over the past years have been related to missing Alzheimer's patients and other elderly adults with degenerative disorders causing a cognitive impairment. As the nation's vast "Baby Boomer" population ages into retirement, it is fully expected that the number of requests per year for this type of call will expand significantly. It is with all the more importance that the proper resources are available to public safety agencies to quickly locate these individuals."

"In addition, the team also needs funds to purchase specialized equipment. We currently use a side scan sonar unit which allows us to take a clear picture of the bottom of lakes and rivers regardless of water clarity. Adding a "Remote Operated Vehicle", equipped with lights and a camera for underwater searches would be helpful. Other types of equipment such as medical supplies, communications equipment, and a host of specialized safety and rescue equipment are needed on an ongoing basis."

"While based in Milwaukee, WI, we have traveled to calls from the U.P. of Michigan to New Orleans, and several states in between. $100,000 would go a long way in enhancing the size and capabilities of not only our team, but others throughout the region that we work in conjunction with. This award would allow us to bring qualified trainers to the Midwest for the next 3-5 years and make a substantial impact in Wisconsin and other states that call upon our resources."

Voting for our team will help us continue to uphold the search and rescue motto, "So that others may live."