2026 K9 Disaster Response Workshop - Live Find & HRD

Name: 2026 K9 Disaster Response Workshop - Live Find & HRD
Start: 2026-04-10T09:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-04-12T17:00:00-04:00
Location: Volusia County, Florida

Schedule

Fri, 10 Apr, 2026 at 09:00 am to Sun, 12 Apr, 2026 at 05:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Volusia County, Florida | New Smyrna Beach, FL

Train alongside experienced handlers and K9 teams as we focus on real-world disaster skills in live find & human remains detection. The goal of the workshop is to help you & your K9 be better prepared to search in a post disaster environment. There will be some class time but the majority of the workshop will be field training the critical skills & behaviors needed to be safe & effective in helping with the search for missing persons after a disaster.
Class will be limited to 12 working spots ($300) and 6 observation spots ($150). Prices increase on 3/12/26 by $100, so working spots will be $400, observation spots $250. All fees are non-refundable.
Requirements to attend the class
The teams ready for this training are consistent & strong as an area search or wilderness team. K9s cannot be aggressive towards humans or dogs, must have a very clear understanding of the scent/odor they are looking for (we will not be spending ANY time imprinting), have a solid reward system in place, be able to work confidently off leash, have strong environmental stability around loud noises & be in physical condition to search large areas in rugged terrain in the Florida heat & humidity. Prong & e-collars are not permitted. Handlers need to be in physical condition to be able to work large areas in rugged terrain with their dogs, and have an open mind, positive attitude and come ready to learn & train. If you or your K9 do not meet the requirements yet, you are welcome to audit.
Dogs with aggression towards other dogs or humans are not permitted, and may be asked to leave the seminar if any issues arise. Dogs MUST remain leashed at all times except when training or working a problem. You will be returning your dog to the car between sessions, please be prepared with the appropriate equipment for them to relax and continue with latent learning when resting.
NOTE: Certification is not being offered & attendance at the workshop does not constitute or equate to a designation of "deployable" in response to a disaster.