Lecture and Field Exercises Posted

The first seminar is a one-day class geared toward the entire SAR team. Students learn how to operate a Garmin Rino (position-reporting) GPS device in the field as well as perform a routine base check-in procedure.

I've run this seminar a few of times now and many of the kinks have been ironed out. But if you plan on offering this course to your team, you'll no doubt need to adapt it for your own unit's local operating procedures.

I've posted the first seminar file which includes a lecture and field exercises. The basic course runs 6-7 hours. Plan on 8 hours, if you go through the slides for the detailed Rino setup. The instructor will need to create area sectors in advance and be prepared to load them on GPS units during lunch. (Earlier in the day, students will learn to clear their devices.) Ideally, instructors will have a helper to run base and also assist with questions and problems. This is a highly interactive course and runs more as a discussion than a lecture.

Download seminar file here. Don't forget save hyperlinked files to your harddrive, if you will not have an internet connection during the lecture component of the class.

Welcome

Welcome to the K9 GPS Seminar site. These materials were developed to teach K9 SAR unit members how they might use position-reporting devices in the field. Currently, the Garmin Rino is the most affordable and accessible device on the market -- and the device used in this seminar. Training materials will be adapted over time to reflect technological change. Feel free to download and adapt this material for your unit's training. Additional notes and items of interest may be periodically posted on this blog. So come back and visit!