(Dorothy Kosich wrote the original report for Mineweb.).
Two year-old Ginny--a beautiful, brindled-coloured Dutch Shepherd living in Virginia--carries considerable weight on her slender shoulders as a four-legged pioneer in mine rescue.While friendly and sweet-natured during brief introductions at the 2012 National Search and Rescue Conference in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, Ginny is all business when it comes to doing her job as the world’s first mine search and rescue dog, trained to perform search and rescue in both underground and surface mines.
As her trainer Bill Dotson--president of Applied K9 Technologies and a nationally renowned expert in search and rescue, disaster and cadaver search dog training--explained at the conference, Ginny is the kind of dog “who won’t quit” when searching for missing or trapped miners.She shares that trait with the heroic search-and-rescue dogs who, for months, combed through the rubble and debris of the World Trade Centre for any human scent in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on 9/11.
Her employer, Alpha Natural Resources, can confidently place the lives of its miners in Ginny’s paws. Trained to remain with the fallen and/or injured miner and keep barking to guide rescuers to the victim, Ginny’s voice is the “bark of hope”, as one employee recently observed.
The idea of training the world’s first and only mine rescue dog started with a very simple idea: What could continuous improvement bring to mine rescue? The answer was found through combining mine rescue technology with search and rescue skills.By December 2010, a project plan proposal spelled out what K9 Search and Rescue would bring to the mining industry; how the dog would work within the parameters of traditional mine rescue; and what capability the dog would provide that Alpha’s mine rescue teams did not already possess.
The offspring of two top-performing Royal Dutch police dogs, Ginny was selected from 44 puppies bred at the Logan Haus Kennels, a Greenbrier Valley, West Virginia, kennel, which supplies some of the nation’s highest performing dogs to the military, special operations, and law enforcement. Her trainers worked to turn Ginny’s natural instincts, such as hunting prey, into skills deployable for a search and rescue dog. The “hunt” was the search for a different type of “prey” -- fallen, missing or buried miners.
Her training regime included obedience training; search, find and alert training on the human scent; introduction and familiarity with mine rescue teams; and getting used to underground and surface coal mines, heavy mining equipment, rubble piles, and the sounds and traffic associated with mining operations.Like search-and-rescue dogs used in disasters, Ginny had to be able to walk on any surface, scramble without hesitation over any object, find victims under an avalanche of debris in dangerous conditions, and be able to do it all in complete darkness.
Ginny wears a portable gas detector simulator and listens for the alarm it sounds when she encounters dangerous gases or poor quality air. She will react to the sound and retreat immediately, warning mine rescuers of the potentially explosive air conditions ahead.The dog’s protective vest shields her from punctures and other possible wounds from debris on the ground or falling rocks. Ginny wears portable lamps and an infrared camera which transmits visual information back to her handler and the rescue team.Ginny is used to wearing safety goggles, and also will allow a rescue hood to be placed over her head during an emergency evacuation.
As the world’s first and only mine rescue dog, Ginny has become an ambassador for Alpha, the largest U.S. metallurgical coal miner, and is now being introduced to the general public, as well as mining industry-related groups. Recently, Ginny appeared at conventions, a state mine rescue contest, and at local schools. She even has a colouring book on her exploits aimed at youngsters.Ginny’s sweet and patient temperament means she enjoys these events and the attention and petting showered upon her by adoring strangers. But, when needed, Ginny can turn off the charm, and quickly switch to working dog mode.
Alpha has had inquiries from Australian government agencies charged with mine rescue responsibilities, and hopes Ginny will shine a brighter, more positive light on mine safety by demonstrating the mining industry is willing to innovate to save lives.Ginny is scheduled to appear at the Women in Mining National Conference in April 2013 at Virginia Tech, to get those mining education specialists to brainstorm about Ginny’s role in educating future generations about mining.
Ginny has appeared on the PRNewswire electronic billboard in New York City, and has her own webpage, Facebook page and Twitter account.Surprisingly, the total cost of Ginny, her training and her equipment costs about the same as a pickup truck used in most mining operations. As the first dog in her branch of search and rescue, Ginny’s training took 16 months before she could work as a full-time mining rescue dog due to the fact she was a puppy when her training commenced.
“The skills that Ginny has mastered make her an amazing dog,” her handler recently told a reporter, “but what’s most impressive is her incredible resolve and what I call ‘nerve strength”, which can’t be taught. Even in a tough situation, Ginny stays focused and gets the job done. She’s a true professional.”
(Dorothy Kosich wrote the original report for Mineweb.).