Page 107 - 2022 Sustainability Report

COMMUNITY WELL-BEING

Company Partnership with Renowned K9 Search &
Rescue Training Company has Invaluable Impact

Though mining at Spring Valley-Cook Road Sand & Gravel
may currently be idle, a partnership between Martin
Marietta and the Center for Forensic Training and
Education (CFTE) has allowed the site to become one of
the most important K9 search and rescue training locations
in the world. Each year, more than 300 K9 teams from
across the globe venture to the sand and gravel pit just a
few miles southeast of Dayton, Ohio, to participate in live
find search and human remains detection (HRD) training.
Offering a perfect mixture of both land and water
environments, the property allows each dog team to
experience a wide number of staged, real world scenarios
designed to strengthen its abilities to respond effectively
during a true emergency.

“The Spring Valley site is fantastic for our purposes,” says
CFTE President and CEO Deana Hudgins, who has worked
closely with Martin Marietta since 2018. “It’s secluded and
private, which allows us to train dogs without having
neighbors complain about barking, and it also prevents the
public from stumbling into the middle of training sessions
that are often sensitive in nature.” Serving beginner level
search and detection teams through advanced, the training
typically involves between 16-30 dogs and their handlers,
Hudgins says.

Hudgins says the most sensitive classes focus on human remains detection, which can involve water searches, full or
partial burial searches, searches for burned remains, searches of crime scenes and searches of areas with advanced
distractions. “The property itself mimics many of the areas we are called to during searches for missing people, and this is
critical to prepare teams for real world operations,” Hudgins says. “The wooded, open areas, and gravel piles allow us to
change up training frequently and present teams with a wide variety or scenarios. The lakes on the property are perfect
for water recovery training. We do many searches every year that involve water recoveries, and the lakes here are some of
the best we have worked in the state of Ohio. Their clarity, depth, and aquatic health provide us with a safe and diverse
environment to train dogs to work along the shoreline as well as from boats.”

Hudgins, who entered the field of emergency search and rescue dog training after witnessing the importance of such
work during and after 9/11, says the most rewarding element of her job is seeing the changes that occur as the dogs and
their handlers become increasingly confident in their abilities. As the dogs become stronger, so, too, does their drive to
succeed in their mission. “A dog that loves to work has unparalleled drive and focus. They work despite horrible weather,
dangerous environments, injury and illness. Their desire to do the job and get their reward outweighs everything,” she
says.

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