The K-9 Corps
Peace River K9 Search and Rescue fields trained dog teams for lost-person searches and the recovery of human remains. Every PRSAR K9 team passes an internal mission-ready evaluation and holds certification from an outside agency.
Area Search / Wilderness
These teams respond to persons lost in wilderness and rural terrain, either to locate the subject quickly or to clear an assigned area. All members hold First Aid/CPR and Pet First Aid certifications, and are trained in land navigation using GPS, map, and compass, as well as in the ICS/NIMS command structure.
Area search teams train to FEMA 509 Type 1 guidelines and ASTM F1847, pass a rigorous PRSAR team evaluation, meet the NWCG PMS 310 physical fitness standard at the moderate level, and hold NAPWDA certification on the SAR 60-acre area search test.
K9 Tracking Teams
PRSAR tracking teams work either scent-specific or as human odor trackers, on tracks aged up to 48 hours, with a high success rate. These teams train to FEMA 508 Type 1 standards and pass an exhaustive in-house evaluation.
The training program is component-based and runs continuously. PRSAR maintains three levels of tracking training, broken out into wilderness, suburban, and urban tracking skills. Handlers meet the NWCG PMS 310 moderate physical fitness standard and are certified through NAPWDA.
Cadaver / Forensic Recovery / Human Remains Detection Teams
PRSAR's land HRD program is built to ANSI/ASB Std 076-2026, the American National Standard for the training and certification of canine human remains detection on land, approved in April 2026. Our written policy, handler curriculum, certification path, and record-keeping are structured against it.
These volunteer professionals continually maintain their skills. The dogs are worked across a wide range of source sizes and ages, deliberately, to give them the broadest scent picture and to prevent threshold problems from developing.
All HRD team members are certified through NAPWDA, have completed training in crime scene preservation and bloodborne pathogens, and are trained in evidence discovery and recovery procedures. All HRD team members pass a Level 2 background check — State and Federal, with fingerprints.
Teams are available for out-of-country, military, and historical deployments on a contractual basis.
On-water work.
PRSAR HRD/LIVE FIND teams train on both land and water. Std 076 covers land only, by its own scope clause, and no published consensus standard exists for human remains or Live-Find detection in water — the 2009 SWGDOG SC8 water sections remain the only written guidance in existence. PRSAR maintains a separate written water HRD policy built around that gap, and says so rather than implying a standard that does not exist. See our Cadaver Dogs page for the full picture.
For more on how these teams work and how to vet one, see our Cadaver Dogs page.
Handler and K9 Training and Certifications
Incident management and operations
ICS/NIMS 100, 200, 300, 400, 700, 800 • Basic Inland Search Class (BISC/USAF) • Managing the Lost Person Incident (MLPI) • Urban Search Management (USM) • Wide Area Search (TEEX PER 213) • Search & Rescue in Community Disasters (TEEX PER 334) • State of Florida Emergency Response Awareness (SERP)
Medical, safety, and hazard
Basic & Advanced First Aid/CPR • Pet First Aid/CPR and Advanced K9 Trauma • Bloodborne Pathogens Awareness • ASTM F2890 Hazardous Materials Awareness • Structural Collapse Awareness • Confined Space (Awareness Level) • F130/190 Basic Wildland Firefighting • Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) • ASTM F1739 survival swimming and self-rescue in still water
Navigation and field skills
Day and night land navigation operations • USNG awareness • ASTM F3072 Intermediate Wilderness GPS/GNSS Use endorsement • Rescue rope and knots for handler, K9, and patient packaging • Helicopter loading, unloading, and base operations • Man tracking
Canine discipline standards
ASTM F1847 Demonstrating Minimum Skills of Search and Rescue Dogs and Handlers • ASTM F1848 Classification for Search and Rescue Dog Crew/Teams • ASTM F1879 Demonstrating Obedience and Agility in Search and Rescue Dogs • ASTM F2209 Training of Level I Land Search Team Member • AKC Canine Good Citizen Advanced (CGCA)
Scent, behavior, and investigative
K9 and animal learning theory and modern training techniques • Updated scent theory and meteorology of scent • Lost Person Behavior (LPB) • Crime scene preservation • Child Abduction Response Team (CART) • Human Trafficking Awareness / Homeland Security • Citizens Emergency Response Team (CERT)
Background checks
All PRSAR volunteers pass a Florida Level 1 (State) background check before field deployment. HRD and FAST team members pass a Level 2 (State and Federal, fingerprinted) check before deploying on missions.
All PRSAR teams carry their credentials, position task books, team identification, and certifications for inspection by the authority in charge or the authority having jurisdiction on request. Digital copies of training files are available to the proper authorities on request.
Area Search / Wilderness
These teams respond to persons lost in wilderness and rural terrain, either to locate the subject quickly or to clear an assigned area. All members hold First Aid/CPR and Pet First Aid certifications, and are trained in land navigation using GPS, map, and compass, as well as in the ICS/NIMS command structure.
Area search teams train to FEMA 509 Type 1 guidelines and ASTM F1847, pass a rigorous PRSAR team evaluation, meet the NWCG PMS 310 physical fitness standard at the moderate level, and hold NAPWDA certification on the SAR 60-acre area search test.
K9 Tracking Teams
PRSAR tracking teams work either scent-specific or as human odor trackers, on tracks aged up to 48 hours, with a high success rate. These teams train to FEMA 508 Type 1 standards and pass an exhaustive in-house evaluation.
The training program is component-based and runs continuously. PRSAR maintains three levels of tracking training, broken out into wilderness, suburban, and urban tracking skills. Handlers meet the NWCG PMS 310 moderate physical fitness standard and are certified through NAPWDA.
Cadaver / Forensic Recovery / Human Remains Detection Teams
PRSAR's land HRD program is built to ANSI/ASB Std 076-2026, the American National Standard for the training and certification of canine human remains detection on land, approved in April 2026. Our written policy, handler curriculum, certification path, and record-keeping are structured against it.
These volunteer professionals continually maintain their skills. The dogs are worked across a wide range of source sizes and ages, deliberately, to give them the broadest scent picture and to prevent threshold problems from developing.
All HRD team members are certified through NAPWDA, have completed training in crime scene preservation and bloodborne pathogens, and are trained in evidence discovery and recovery procedures. All HRD team members pass a Level 2 background check — State and Federal, with fingerprints.
Teams are available for out-of-country, military, and historical deployments on a contractual basis.
On-water work.
PRSAR HRD/LIVE FIND teams train on both land and water. Std 076 covers land only, by its own scope clause, and no published consensus standard exists for human remains or Live-Find detection in water — the 2009 SWGDOG SC8 water sections remain the only written guidance in existence. PRSAR maintains a separate written water HRD policy built around that gap, and says so rather than implying a standard that does not exist. See our Cadaver Dogs page for the full picture.
For more on how these teams work and how to vet one, see our Cadaver Dogs page.
Handler and K9 Training and Certifications
Incident management and operations
ICS/NIMS 100, 200, 300, 400, 700, 800 • Basic Inland Search Class (BISC/USAF) • Managing the Lost Person Incident (MLPI) • Urban Search Management (USM) • Wide Area Search (TEEX PER 213) • Search & Rescue in Community Disasters (TEEX PER 334) • State of Florida Emergency Response Awareness (SERP)
Medical, safety, and hazard
Basic & Advanced First Aid/CPR • Pet First Aid/CPR and Advanced K9 Trauma • Bloodborne Pathogens Awareness • ASTM F2890 Hazardous Materials Awareness • Structural Collapse Awareness • Confined Space (Awareness Level) • F130/190 Basic Wildland Firefighting • Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) • ASTM F1739 survival swimming and self-rescue in still water
Navigation and field skills
Day and night land navigation operations • USNG awareness • ASTM F3072 Intermediate Wilderness GPS/GNSS Use endorsement • Rescue rope and knots for handler, K9, and patient packaging • Helicopter loading, unloading, and base operations • Man tracking
Canine discipline standards
ASTM F1847 Demonstrating Minimum Skills of Search and Rescue Dogs and Handlers • ASTM F1848 Classification for Search and Rescue Dog Crew/Teams • ASTM F1879 Demonstrating Obedience and Agility in Search and Rescue Dogs • ASTM F2209 Training of Level I Land Search Team Member • AKC Canine Good Citizen Advanced (CGCA)
Scent, behavior, and investigative
K9 and animal learning theory and modern training techniques • Updated scent theory and meteorology of scent • Lost Person Behavior (LPB) • Crime scene preservation • Child Abduction Response Team (CART) • Human Trafficking Awareness / Homeland Security • Citizens Emergency Response Team (CERT)
Background checks
All PRSAR volunteers pass a Florida Level 1 (State) background check before field deployment. HRD and FAST team members pass a Level 2 (State and Federal, fingerprinted) check before deploying on missions.
All PRSAR teams carry their credentials, position task books, team identification, and certifications for inspection by the authority in charge or the authority having jurisdiction on request. Digital copies of training files are available to the proper authorities on request.
