Ojai Valley News Blog

Training center project closer to becoming reality

By Sondra Murphy
When catastrophe strikes, it is reassuring to know there is qualified help on the way and training centers for search teams play a vital role in disaster preparedness.

Upon returning from successful rescues during the aftermath of the recent Haitian earthquake, the Ojai-based National Disaster Search Dog Foundation announced the receipt of a $1 million challenge grant from the Wood-Claeyssens Foundation for the creation of a national training center on a 125-acre ranch site in Santa Paula.

The grant paves the way to help build a state-of-the-art center dedicated solely to the training of canine disaster search teams. “We estimate the total cost for the facility is $9.6 million and we’ve raised $3.7 million, so nearly $6 million is still needed,” said Janet Reineck, NDSDF development director. “We hope people will match what Wood-Claeyssens gave us and meet their challenge.”

NDSDF pairs rescued dogs with firefighters and first responders from the state and nation, who receive advanced training. “It costs about $15,000 to get a team going, then we support them throughout the working life of the dog,” said Reineck. “We follow the team and keep them trained and this training center will be at the heart of it. They have to be at the top of their game, or ‘highest deployment readiness.’”

NDSDF was started in 1996 after founder Wilma Melville returned from the Oklahoma City bombing site with the opinion that there were not enough search dog teams available. The foundation gained national recognition after Sept. 11, 2001, when 13 NDSDF teams were deployed to search the ruins of the World Trade Center disaster site.

Foundation teams have since responded to 67 disasters. In addition to Haiti and Ground Zero, teams have assisted during the 2005 La Conchita mud slide, a Paso Robles earthquake and 2008 Chatsworth train derailment.

The training center is slated to open Sept. 11, 2011 to honor those who served the country on 9-11 and as a memorial to those who lost their lives. It will include canine housing, disaster simulation training sites and classrooms and create a maintenance and depreciation endowment to cover operating costs. The center will also be made available to FEMA and State Offices of Emergency Services for the Search Team Certification testing required for disaster deployment.

“SDF’s services are in demand as never before,” said Melville. “We are the ‘911’ of the fire service — providing highly skilled canine-firefighter teams to find people buried alive under the wreckage of disasters. We offer the team and the training program at no cost to the fire departments. The Wood-Claeyssens Foundation challenge grant is an important, lifesaving gift to our community, state and nation.”

Shortly after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck on Jan. 12, seven NDSDF search teams deployed to Haiti, helping to rescue eight people trapped in the rubble. More than 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater were reported during the two weeks that followed. It is estimated that 200,000 perished during the disaster, 300,000 have been treated for injuries and 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial structures had collapsed or have been severely damaged.

“Our selection of the Search Dog Foundation to receive this challenge grant is based in our belief that there is nothing more basic for a community than to have the resources needed to respond to emergencies,” said Noelle Claeyssens Burkey, president of the Wood-Claeyssens Foundation. “Our community and state are prone to natural disasters and the Search Dog Foundation teams directly strengthen the emergency response network. If our funding is able to attract new donors to help the Search Dog Foundation open the center in the next 18 months, each and every citizen will benefit.”

The Wood-Claeyssens Foundation is a California nonprofit corporation that provides grants to qualified nonprofit organizations in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

According to Reineck, NDSDF does not receive government funding, but relies on sponsorships and donations from individuals and private foundations to remain in operation. The foundation trains highly skilled teams at no cost to the participating departments. To learn more about this nonprofit organization or to donate to its efforts, visit SearchDogFoundation.org.

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