KIDS' CORNER
Safety is Fun!
Learn important wilderness safety tips and discover how our amazing K9 heroes
help find missing people. Knowledge is your superpower!
WILDERNESS SAFETY
Top Safety Tips for Young Explorers
Whether you're hiking with your family or exploring the outdoors, these tips will help keep you safe.
Tell Someone Your Plan
Before you go outside or into the woods, make sure a trusted adult knows exactly where you plan to be and when you expect to return. This helps rescuers know where to start looking if you don’t come back on time.
Stay Together, If you are with a friend or a pet
If you are not alone, stay together. It is easier for rescuers to find a group than one person, and you can help keep each other calm and safe.
Stay Warm and Dry
Your body needs to stay warm to stay safe. Use what you have—jackets, leaves, or moss—to keep heat in and stay off the cold ground. Staying dry and protected helps prevent getting too cold.
Stay in One Place
If you realize you are lost, stop moving. Staying in one place makes it much easier for search teams and K9s to find you quickly.
Find a Cozy Place – but not a hiding place…we need to see you
Look for a safe, comfortable spot to rest, but do not hide. Rescuers need to be able to see you. Choose an open or visible area nearby where you can still stay protected.
Stay Away from Large Rivers and Lakes
Water can be dangerous, even if it looks calm. Stay back from the edges of rivers, lakes, and ponds to avoid slipping, falling in, or being carried away by currents.
If you hear or see rescuers – signal or make lots of noise (carry a whistle)
If you hear people calling or see searchers, make yourself known right away. Shout, wave, or use a whistle to help them find you faster. Keep signaling until they reach you.
DID YOU KNOW?
How Search Dogs Find People
Super Sniffers
A dog's nose is 10,000 to 100,000 times more sensitive than a human's. They can smell things we can't even imagine!
Scent Tracking
Every person has a unique scent, like a fingerprint. Search dogs are trained to follow that specific scent trail to find missing people.
Teamwork
Search dogs work with their handlers as a team. The handler reads the dog's body language to know when the dog has found something important.
Book a Visit
Our K9 teams visit schools, scout troops, camps, and community organizations to provide fun, interactive presentations about search and rescue operations and personal safety.
Kids get to meet our certified search dogs, watch demonstrations, and learn life-saving skills in an engaging, age-appropriate format. Contact us to schedule a visit for your school or organization!