Lead periodic table5/17/2023 ![]() The pair is always preparing for a callout, when team members respond to requests for assistance. I started training in different areas, collaborating with team members, and learning about mapping, effective ways to use a GPS, basic survival and first aid skills.” “After more research, I found myself diving further into the world of search and recovery. “When I first started training to become an operational team, I was ready for a new adventure,” Petrovic said. Teams search for live people, but Petrovic and Sawyer typically locate deceased persons, which helps bring closure to families. Search and recovery teams are called to locate and aid those in possible distress or imminent danger. Angelica is with her three dogs, in order from left to right – Jedi, Revel and Sawyer. Although they are certified, training is an ongoing process that includes continually attending seminars and keeping their training fresh. Petrovic and Sawyer are now nationally certified as an operational live find and human remains detection team. “When I started training him to be a search and recovery K-9, his excitement soared.”Īfter months of hard work, the duo began perfecting their craft. “Sawyer is always enthusiastic about our searches and trainings together,” Petrovic said. This rewarding, yet dangerous line of volunteer work proved to be a challenging task that she was eager to pursue. Once Petrovic adopted Sawyer, she began training him to become a search and recovery canine, known in the field as a K-9. ![]() It turned out Sawyer was not the best fit for this kind of work due to his high drive, focused intensity and desire to work even under adversity. He was training to become an alert dog for someone with Type 1 diabetes. At eight weeks old, Sawyer found his temporary home with Petrovic. Seven years ago, Petrovic volunteered with a nonprofit organization that trains dogs to help people with diabetes. “Comparably, performing search and recovery missions with Sawyer is important to people’s lives.” Angelica and Sawyer are searching a burned rubble pile at George Air Force Base with the San Bernardino Sheriff. “Working for ATR is vital to the future of nuclear energy,” Petrovic said. These include assessing the situation, determining a safe action plan, and documenting information.” “Also, there are different stages of planning. “When I am in the field training or searching, it is important to effectively communicate with Sawyer as a team,” Petrovic said. Similarly, her search and recovery role requires strategic planning and teamwork. She is currently in the pre-project planning stage for sustaining thermal irradiation capabilities at INL for decades to come. In her role, Petrovic works with a team to strategically support and lead critical mission projects by developing work plans, reports, and other project tasks. Petrovic started as an intern in the summer of 2018 and is now a project coordinator at the world’s premier nuclear test reactor. This would be, as Petrovic and Sawyer know, an all-too-common occurrence in the search and recovery field. There was no missing person in these mountains. ![]() With hours behind them and a few bumps and bruises, they didn’t find what they were looking for. They landed and began searching for signs of a missing person. This day, Petrovic and Sawyer drove for a couple hours and then boarded a helicopter. Sawyer is Petrovic’s search and recovery partner, a yellow Labrador retriever. Angelica and Sawyer working an open water scenario in Cody, WY. She went through her checklist: gear backpack, first aid and survival kits, GPS dog collar, water and snacks, outerwear, and – most importantly – Sawyer. ![]() Angelica Petrovic was working on projects as part of the Business Affairs and Strategic Planning team at Idaho National Laboratory’s Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) when she received an unexpected call to search for a missing person in the mountains of Idaho.Ī member of Northwest K-9 Search and Recovery, a nonprofit organization based out of Cody, Wyoming, Petrovic mentally prepared for the adventure. ![]()
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