Inside an Alaska K9 Search and Rescue Training

Through the TriMetrix Cares Ambassador program, TriMetrix employees are encouraged to spend one paid eight-hour workday every six months volunteering for a nonprofit they care about.

For a recent TriMetrix Cares volunteer day, staff member Erin Barker supported Alaska Search and Rescue Dogs (ASARD) during a statewide K9 training workshop. Dogs and handlers from four search and rescue (SAR) agencies gathered in Anchorage to train with two guest instructors from K9 Track Northwest over four days.

Erin’s role included planning, logistics coordination, and liaising with trainers, as well as supporting volunteers who served as “lost persons” for the dogs to locate. K9 SAR training requires dogs to practice finding unfamiliar people across a range of environments and conditions, including urban and wilderness settings, varying time intervals since a subject’s departure, changes in weather and humidity, and distractions such as traffic or unexpected human behavior. Erin helped trainers and teams access and manage these variables, including those that arose spontaneously during training. She also supported resource coordination by tracking down materials referenced during sessions, such as podcasts and car safety gear for dogs.

Beyond the technical training, the workshop also created an important opportunity for connection across agencies. In real-world search and rescue operations, teams often work alongside people and dogs they have not previously trained with. Interagency trainings like this help build familiarity, strengthen working relationships, and improve coordination under pressure. They also allow dogs to become accustomed to the people and teams they may work alongside, supporting calmer and more effective search efforts in the field.