Urban Search and Rescue's lead dog trainer, Brenda Woolley talks about her 17 years of training dogs to step up in dangerous and chaotic situations - including in the aftermath of the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes. Her lifelong ability to build rapport with dogs, and spot which ones have potential to do the tough jobs, led to Brenda working in animal control for the Christchurch City Council - she and her husband Rex have run the Council's dog shelter for 29 years - before she got into Land Search and Rescue and later, Urban SAR. She has a QSM for services to Urban Search and Rescue. If you think your dog fits the requirements Brenda outlines in this interview, and you're keen to register your interest with Urban Search and Rescue, you can visit the team's website, http://www.usardogs.org.nz/
Members of the Urban Search and Rescue teams from Auckland at the Air Force air movements terminal in Christchurch.
A press release from the Office of the Press Secretary in the US White House announcing the deployment of a US Agency for International Development (USAID) Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to Christchurch after the 22 February 2011 earthquake. The response team included the Los Angeles County Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue Team who assisted with the search and rescue efforts.
Members of the Urban Search and Rescue teams from Auckland at the Royal New Zealand Air Force Air Movements Terminal in Christchurch.
Members of the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) and Fire and Rescue New South Wales, eating lunch in their temporary headquarters in Latimer Square.
Structural Engineers from the New Zealand and Los Angeles County Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue teams outside the Kenton Chambers Building on Hereford Street.
A photograph of workers and members of the Hutt City Emergency Response team and New Zealand Urban Search and Rescue team posing for a photograph. The photograph was taken outside the United States headquarters in Latimer Square.
Members of the Urban Search and Rescue teams from Auckland observing two minutes of silence a week after the 22 September 2011 earthquake.
Paul Burns is the task force leader of Urban Search and Rescue.
A photograph of equipment from the New Zealand Fire Service Urban Search and Rescue team on display in the Canterbury Quakes exhibition at the Canterbury Museum. The equipment was used during the emergency response to the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
An image from a Army News March 2011 photo compilation titled, "All in a Days Work". The image is captioned, "A Chinese Urban Search and Rescue worker on the job". This USAR member was working on the CTV building which collapsed during the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A digger clearing rubble on the site of the CTV Building.
An image from a Army News March 2011 article titled, "Defence Medical Personnel Use Their Expertise". The image shows members of the South Australian Urban Search and Rescue team digging through rubble in the central city.
Structural Engineers from the New Zealand and Los Angeles County Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue teams performing assessments of buildings on High Street near Manchester Street.
A member of the Australian Urban Search and Rescue team standing next to a pile of bricks on Tuam Street. In the distance, dust is rising off a damaged store which is being demolished by a digger.
A member of the Los Angeles County Fire Department Search and Rescue Team, talking to a New Zealand Police Officer in Latimer Square. In the background is a wire fence with Search and Rescue Team equipment tied to it. After the 22 February 2011 earthquake, emergency service agencies set up their headquarters in Latimer Square.
A member of the Los Angeles County Fire Department Search and Rescue Team, talking to a New Zealand Police Officer in Latimer Square. In the background is a wire fence with Search and Rescue Team equipment tied to it. After the 22 February 2011 earthquake, emergency service agencies set up their headquarters in Latimer Square.
Structural Engineers from the New Zealand and Los Angeles County Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue teams performing an assessment of the Kenton Chambers Building on Hereford Street.
Structural Engineers from the New Zealand and Los Angeles County Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue teams performing an assessment of the Kenton Chambers Building on Hereford Street.
Members of the Urban Search and Rescue teams from Auckland boarding an air craft at the Royal New Zealand Air Force air movements terminal in Christchurch.
Page 6 of Section A of the Christchurch Press, published on Friday 25 February 2011.
Diggers at the CTV site. The rubble from the site has mostly been cleared, leaving an empty building site.
Diggers at the CTV site. The rubble from the site has mostly been cleared, leaving an empty building site.
An image from a Army News March 2011 photo compilation titled, "All in a Days Work". The image is captioned, "Searching through the rubble". In the image, members of the South Australian Urban Search and Rescue team are digging through rubble in the central city. In the background, a digger can be seen.
A digger at the site of the CTV Building. In the background, the elevator shaft can still be seen.
Two diggers at the site of the CTV Building. In the background, the elevator shaft can still be seen.
Two diggers at the site of the CTV Building. In the background, the elevator shaft can still be seen.
Two diggers at the site of the CTV Building. In the background, the elevator shaft can still be seen.
Page 5 of Section O of the Christchurch Press, published on Wednesday 23 February 2011.
A member of the New Zealand Defence Force on the site of the CTV Building. In the background diggers are being used to clear the rubble.