Response FAQs
Have a different question or want to learn more?
Contact Us — we’re happy to help you explore how crisis response canine teams can support your work.
Have you worked our kind of incident before?
While every incident is different, NATIONAL has served communities in crisis since 1998 and has likely encountered a situation similar to yours.
How well are your teams trained — can they handle extreme situations?
Yes. Handling extreme situations is our specialty.
Our crisis canine teams undergo intensive, crisis-specific training designed to prepare them for high-stress, emotionally charged, and unpredictable environments encountered in the aftermath of traumatic events.
The level of our evaluation is comparable to the rigorous standards seen in other professional working canine disciplines, including police and military K9 units, search and rescue teams, and detection canines.
To learn more about the NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines training program, visit training overview.
Can you integrate with our response system?
Yes! Our teams are trained in FEMA’s Incident Command Structure (ICS) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS). We can integrate seamlessly into emergency response efforts at any level.
In the Command Staff, crisis canines teams are often under command of the Safety Officer. In the General Staff, the canine teams are commonly deployed to the Operations Section as a Strike Team, or, with a Task Force.
We already have our own Peer Support and CISM team, why request your canine teams?
We can collaborate to provide additional support to your teams when a critical incident impacts your own personnel. We can also assist your teams during community information briefings to survivors and families.
In addition to Peer Support before, during and after a critical incident, NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines’ ICISF-recognized CISM team can provide all Critical Incident Stress Management interventions, including suicide prevention and intervention.
Are you insured?
Yes. Each crisis response team responding on-scene is insured, credentialed, and self-provisioned.
In addition, all NATIONAL personnel have criminal background histories cleared through an extensive and ongoing Level 3 screening by Sterling Volunteers.
We have a staff member interested in training their personal dog to respond with our crisis team - can you help?
Yes. At NATIONAL, the canine handler and the canine train together to form a working partnership. As partners, they train specifically for working with the emotionally complex behaviors of people in crisis, and in the physically complex environments of disasters. This handler +canine partnership ensures the safety of the individuals you serve and your staff.
You can find more information about NATIONAL's real world training™️ here.