OSRL partnered with Chiron K9 in 2019 to provide canine oil detection services to our members on a non-guaranteed, best endeavours basis as an additional service to our Service Level Agreement. This year the service has been ‘operationalised’ to provide clear mobilisation instructions to the Duty Team.
Drawing upon 36 years of professional canine training and instructing experience Paul Bunker created Chiron K9, a canine consultancy and training provider and avid contributor to canine research and development. Based in Somerset, Texas, Chiron K9 fulfils contracts internationally and has proven itself a world leader in canine oil detection time and time again.
An oil detection canine is trained to search for and alert the presence of surface or sub-surface target hydrocarbons quicker and more efficiently than standard SCAT teams. It is a proven technology with 99.7% detection rate in research trials suitable for deployment on shorelines, lakeshores, river banks and terrestrial environments. Canines can integrate into SCAT operations and can be deployed by all forms of transportation (vehicle, foot, boat, ATV, helicopter).
Integrating oil detection dogs into SCAT Teams results in more efficient surveying, saving on manpower and costs. Their methodical approach facilitates rapid coverage of large areas and methodical delineation in the case of positive I.D. of hydrocarbons. Dogs can investigate difficult terrains inaccessible to humans to get the job done safely.