When disasters occur across Missouri or within the United States, Missouri Task Force 1 (MOTF-1) is trained and ready to respond. It is one of 28 urban search and rescue teams in the nation and is managed by Boone County Fire Protection District in Columbia.

A unique team from Marthasville is on rotation to respond, but instead of using the typical rescue skills, two of its members use their highly sophisticated noses. Glenda Eichmeyer and two of her dogs, Athena, and Lily, are certified members of MOTF-1.

The breeds most thought of to conduct search and rescue are Labs, German Shepherds and Malinois. Eichmeyer prefers a sleek, intelligent canine that loves to work.

“Both dogs are border collies,” said Eichmeyer, “They are high energy, have good noses, they are smart, easy to train, have a high drive to succeed, and are very agile.”

Eichmeyer said she became interested in becoming a search and rescue handler after she witnessed a canine demonstration.

“I want to do that,” she remembers thinking. “I love dogs. I want to help people. It made sense.”

In January of 2021, recruitment class for Eichmeyer and her dog Athena began. Their team tested June 11 and Athena certified as a live find disaster dog. Since that time, the pair has been deployed to Texas, N. Carolina, Kentucky and St. Louis.

Eichmeyer said when MOTF-1 is deployed it is mandatory to bring live find dogs. As the incident progresses, human remain (HR) dogs must be specifically requested, then a different team will fill that need.

“Athena’s job when deployed is to find anyone buried in a pile that’s still alive,” said Eichmeyer. “We are trying to find whoever we can find, all by scent and by the victim’s breathing. When Athena finds someone, she will bark and hold. She will look at the area, look at me, look back at the area and continue barking. Live find dogs are always looking for the freshest scent.”

There are two important tests every task force dog must pass. The first is the Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA). This test will determine if a dog is ready to take the critical certification test. It will include obedience behavior, obstacles such as a ladder or tunnel, searching on a pile and checking to see if the dog is a good citizen, reacting well to other people.

The second hurdle is the Certification Evaluation (CE). Eichmeyer said the dogs test on an 1,100-square-foot pile of rubble. There are distractions in the pile, such as food or clothing without a victim. There are up to six targets for the dog to discover.

“The dog gets full access to the pile first by herself, she finds the first source, barks three times, then the handler can join her,” said Eichmeyer. “The judges want to make sure the dogs are thinking on their own.”

Recently Eichmeyer’s second dog, Lily, certified to be part of MOTF-1 as a human remains or cadaver dog. She is specifically trained to find a deceased individual. Dead animals do not distract them. She is also trained to smell from a boat on a river or lake.

When Eichmeyer is home training or making use of the test piles in Columbia, she continues to present harder challenges to her dogs. Experiences learned from other dog handlers gives her ideas to keep her dogs ready. Both dogs are duly rewarded after each success by receiving their well-chewed frisbees.

The desire to help people is also apparent in her other jobs. Eichmeyer is an EMT and teaches art at St. Ignatius Catholic School in Marthasville.

MOTF-1 is designed to assist the local emergency agencies facing a disaster response both in-state and out-of-state. It supplements the local response. When deployed, each team consists of 80 members. More than 200 members are required to properly staff the agency.

Each member of the team has distinct jobs in addition to the canine handlers. All members are trained and equipped following FEMA guidelines. Other members are trained for rescue, extrication, medical stabilization, heavy equipment, engineering, swift water rescue, building collapse, hazmat, and communications.

Some of the incidents MOTF-1 may respond to include earthquakes, hurricanes, severe storms, tornadoes, floods, dam failures, technological accidents, terrorist activities, or hazardous materials releases.

To learn more about MOTF-1, visit bcfdmo.com/mo-task-force-1.