The puppy arrived at her home 1st EMAK in Aspropyrgos a few years ago. There he was received by the deputy fireman Dimitris Kolecis, search and rescue dog trainer. This, after all, will be the mission of Victor, the black Labrador from now on: to participate in a special squad to eliminate large-scale disasters – natural (earthquakes, floods, fires) and man-made, as well as man-made accidents – in order to search for the missing.

Together with Mr. Koletsis, his man – “trainer”, in the language of dog training – they have completed many difficult and dangerous missions, from the floods in Mandre in Western Attica (2017) and Mantoudi in Evia (2018) to Lebanon. , after the deadly explosion in the port of Beirut (2020). These days they are in Turkey, participating in a desperate effort to retrieve survivors from the ruins left by a devastating earthquake. After the 1st EMAK, another rescue dog, Caesar, went to the neighboring country, and from the 2nd, Talos.

Victor’s daily life is no different from that of his two-legged colleagues. Before the first year of life, he underwent basic training (lasting several months). His performance showed that he was perfect for the… job duties, so he worked in the unit full-time. Since then, like the members of the Hellenic Fire Brigade, he has not stopped training and training almost every day to always be ready. And, of course, he is evaluated every semester along with his curator. Their “connection” and communication, after all, is the alpha and omega of their effectiveness in various business areas.

Deputy Firefighter Dimitris Koletsis recently told us about search and rescue techniques and why Labradors, German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois are preferred over other breeds for these missions. “Labradoodles smell better, if there is something “out there”, they will definitely find it. No machine, no matter how perfect, can compete with them in smell. German Shepherds have more stamina, while Malinois have excellent jumping ability. In any case, the common denominator should be the same: dogs are human-centric, sociable and … mischievous, love the game, because through it they are mainly trained (secondarily with treats): they consider the person they are looking for because this is the one with whom they will play! They don’t understand the importance of what they do. How precious is their offering…”

What about the procedures? “Viktoras is always ahead of the curve in outer space quests. I follow him from a distance so as not to confuse him with my scent. In conclusion, after earthquakes, it also precedes. As soon as he finds the survivors and gives us a signal, i.e. barks, rescuers will send another dog to confirm. Then we will start the release operation with the appropriate tools and machines. However, an indispensable condition for the successful outcome of any case is that the dog at all its stages understands exactly what we are asking for,” explains Mr. Koletsis.

70% effort

In cases of searching for trapped people, for example in Turkey and Syria, dogs account for 70% of the effort, and rescuers 30%, according to many trainers. Are there dog losses? Certainly. But not while they’re working, unless something happens, such as an aftershock, while they’re in ruins. On several occasions the rescue dogs resisted after the case was over. Such is their will to please their man that they go beyond their limits and strain themselves to death…

The “career” of the rescue dog lasts about ten years. And after; What is his life like after retirement? Rescue dogs are usually adopted by their handler. The same will happen with Victor. Now he is a colleague and brotherly friend of Mr. Koletsis. When he retires from active service, he will become a member of his family, which already adores him. And they will do everything in their power to close his circle the way he deserves: love and respect.