State search, rescue teams train at Camp Bucoco
SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — Dogs sniffed around Camp Bucoco Friday, April 21, as they led their handlers through woods and off-road terrain that eventually would end when they found the “X” that marked the spot.
The dogs and their handler groups were given tasks to find tracks that would lead them to certain items they were looking for during a training event for search and rescue teams that continues through the weekend.
Chris Ruch, chief of Allegheny Mountain Rescue, said despite the advancement of technology that has helped streamline search efforts, human and animal trackers remain the key to successful search and rescue operations.
The Pennsylvania Search and Rescue Council is hosting its annual training summit this weekend at Camp Bucoco, where more than 140 members of search and rescue teams across the state brushed up on their techniques.
Ruch said it’s the first time the training summit has taken place in Western Pennsylvania, and it gave way to different kinds of exercises than what has been performed in its usual site in Lancaster County.
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