Meet the Fire Services Canine Unit
發佈日期: 2025-08-15 20:21
TVB News
The Fire Services Canine Unit says overseas rescue experience allows them to improve their dog training skills.
This comes after the unit was deployed to foreign countries to take part in rescue operations, including one in Mayanmar in March.
Meet Umi, the four-year-old English Springer Spaniel, a core member of the Fire Services Canine Unit.
Sniffing and constantly springing up and down until he locates a survivor. The barking is to signal rescuers that a survivor has been found.
Apart from Umi, his four-year-old team member, Twix, also displayed strong agility and sense of smell during a rubble rescue demonstration at Tseung Kwan O's Fire and Ambulance Services Academy.
The Fire Services Canine Unit currently has seven dogs.The department says the training starts when they are still puppies.
While Umi and Twix have completed rescue missions in Hong Kong, their achievements have stretched overseas, including the Myanmar earthquake search and rescue operation in March.
The canine unit says overseas experience helps further strengthen their bond with the dogs.
Chan Chu-hong, Umi's handler, says the dog's safety and well-being must be considered when it is involved in an operation.
"The rescue scene was massive and the environment was horrible. We would conduct an environmental assessment before allowing the dogs to perform their tasks. They would receive a physical check afterwards," he explained.
When asked about the advantages of deploying dogs in such situations, Chan said the canines help increase the survival rate and overall operation efficiency.
Looking ahead, the unit will visit a search and rescue dog training base in Yunnan province by the end of the year to share their experience, while they can also learn from their mainland counterparts.
