{"id":18364,"date":"2021-08-01T08:20:37","date_gmt":"2021-08-01T08:20:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.projectmasam.com\/eng\/?p=18364"},"modified":"2021-11-16T10:37:02","modified_gmt":"2021-11-16T10:37:02","slug":"masams-explosives-detection-dogs-the-k9-keeping-our-deminers-safe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.projectmasam.com\/eng\/masams-explosives-detection-dogs-the-k9-keeping-our-deminers-safe\/","title":{"rendered":"Masam\u2019s explosives detection dogs \u2013 the K9 keeping our deminers safe"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image source=”featured_image” img_size=”full” alignment=”right” css=”.vc_custom_1524156224953{margin-bottom: 25px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1637059019973{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #b5b5b5 !important;border-radius: 15px !important;}”]Maca, Dora, Henk, Lina, Sebes,\u00a0Zekk, Niko… These are the furry members of Project Masam\u2019s elite K9 team, trained to keep teams safe by locating trace amounts of explosives and alerting their handlers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With a sense of smell that is 10,000 to 100,000 times more acute than humans\u2019, dogs can be used in different roles within global humanitarian mine action programmes \u2013 including as an Animal Detection System (ADS). <\/span>ADS units are most suitable for operations in areas with low concentrations of Explosive Ordnance contamination (or low-threat areas).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Who\u00a0are\u00a0Project Masam\u2019s explosives detection dogs, and just how integral to the humanitarian mine action programme are they?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meet Masam\u2019s super detectors<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Project Masam currently deploys seven Explosives Detection Dogs (EDD) in Marib, in the east of Yemen. The dogs \u2013 three Belgian Malinois and four German Shepherds –\u00a0are all between five and six years old.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"EDD Team Leader Adel Briones told Project Masam\u00a0<\/span>Belgian Malinois are prized as military dogs and are valued for their natural intelligence and aptitude for operational activities from drug-sniffing and bomb-detection, to search and rescue.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Belgian Malinois is an obedient, hard-working, sensitive, loyal, confident, and protective breed. The Belgian Malinois has a beautiful, smart, and protective personality in any situation,\u201d Briones, who has 20 years\u2019 EDD experience, said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

German Shepherd dogs\u00a0are generally considered dogkind\u2019s finest all-purpose worker, the Team Leader added. The German Shepherd breed is marked by a willingness to learn and an eagerness to have a purpose. They are curious, which makes them excellent guard dogs and suitable for search missions.\u00a0German Shepherds in general are\u00a0calm, assertive, assured, confident, hyper-intelligent, powerful, very loyal, and affectionate dogs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll Masam EDD Dogs are non-aggressive and are very friendly – that is why the Yemeni kids like interaction with our dogs,\u201d Briones, who has been working with Masam since 2018, said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Training in an active warzone<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During EDD training the dog handlers use Scentlogix K9 scent training products – kits that simulate the odour of explosives.<\/span><\/p>\n

When possible, however, the handlers said they use actual Explosive Training Aids for different operations including Vehicle Search, Open Area Search, Building Search, Route Search, Scent Pipes (Protocol) and Scent Wall, following <\/span>industry standard practices<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we do is to bridge the gap of what is really happening in real situations and incorporate that into our training scenarios,\u201d Briones said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“It is critical to broaden the world of detection and what we have here in EDD Project Masam is our experience in an active warzone and in a hostile environment.\u00a0Therefore, in training, we need to \u2018Adapt and Evolve\u2019 in daily continuous training. Some K9 trainers would say always think outside the box, but we at Project Masam are thinking that there is no box, so we aim to master all possible situations.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mitigating against the threat of explosives<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The role of Project Masam EDD is mainly focused on property safety and protection as well as confirming \u201cexplosives-free\u201d access control measures for vehicles and persons. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Other Animal Detection Units\u00a0may be deployed as a part of an integrated clearance approach in combination with another asset such as manual clearance demining teams.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

O<\/span>nce fully trained, Masam\u2019s EDD team conducts two perimeter patrols every day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon\/evening. <\/span><\/p>\n

Apart from perimeter searches the EDD team also carries area searching of the Project training area and conducts vehicle and baggage searches, does visual observation during perimeter searches for indications of suspicious packages, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), or any \u201cout of the ordinary\u201d foreign material that may have been placed.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The dogs are trained to stop and sit for their handler when and where they have spotted the smell of explosives, weapons and improvised explosive devices. <\/span><\/p>\n

The relationship between a handler and his, or her dog providing security in the most difficult of environments is one of absolute trust.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDogs do speak, but only those who know how to listen to them will understand them,\u201d Briones said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meet the handlers<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The EDD handlers assigned to Project Masam have a combined total of 99 years\u2019 experience in both Private and Humanitarian theatres of operations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe EDD Handlers here in Project Masam are all experienced handlers and we are the few EDD Mission Handler\u2019s selected and qualified to work for ISAF [NATO\u2019s <\/span>International Security Assistance Force in\u00a0<\/span>in Afghanistan<\/span>],<\/span>\u00a0attached to their Combat Engineer\/Battle Group\u2019s conducting missions in Kandahar, and all other hostile areas in Afghanistan,\u201d Briones explained.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other EDD handlers, who have been working with Masam for the last three years, include Romy Ferdinand Mazon (14 years\u2019 EDD experience), Rowen Ada (20 years\u2019 EDD experience), Marlon Teodoro (14 years\u2019 EDD experience) and Hermanie Torralba (17 years\u2019 EDD experience). Rodel Chiong, who has 14 years\u2019 EDD experience, joined Masam two years ago.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a lot of fond memories and still making memories with our Masam EDDs,\u201d Briones said, recalling an amusing anecdote involving EDD Maca, a female Belgian Malinois. \u201cShe loves to play and catching a Frisbee in the air. One time while we were enjoying some playtime, one of our Technical Advisor was flying a drone about 10 feet [3m] high. EDD Maca was observing this and decided to run and jumped to catch this strange Frisbee. Needless to say, she never caught it but until this day she always looks at the drone wondering \u2018when is this frisbee going to come down so I can catch it?\u2019\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In July, Masam announced the renewal of its life-saving operation<\/a> clearing landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO) and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) throughout the liberated areas of Yemen for a fourth year.<\/p>\n

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This article was first published on Medium<\/a>.<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space]