Human Remains Detection Certification Standards
This certification is designed to evaluate a Human Remains Detection (HRD) canine team's ability to locate human remains across a variety of environments and conditions in accordance with the standards of the American Police Dog Association (APDA). This includes certification guidelines for Certification I, II, and III.
The evaluation will be conducted by a minimum of two APDA evaluators. One evaluator will be responsible for preparing the test areas while the second evaluator will observe and assess the detection team's performance and overall proficiency.
All certification tests will be conducted using a double-blind testing method, meaning neither the handler nor the evaluator observing the team will know the location of the training aids. This procedure prevents handlers from unintentionally reading evaluator cues and prevents evaluators from inadvertently influencing the K9 team.
To successfully obtain APDA certification, the detection team must achieve a minimum score of 90% proficiency across all phases of the evaluation. The certifying team is responsible for providing appropriate human-remains training aids including tissue, teeth, large bone, and bone fragments.
Prior to testing, the handler must clearly describe the canine's trained final response. The final alert must be distinct and easily recognizable to the evaluator during the certification attempt.
Certification I
The K9 Team will be required to search one (1) rural area, not exceeding five (5) acres in size. The search area may contain zero (0) to one (1) target odors and may include any form of human remains, including but not limited to blood, bone, teeth, charred remains, flesh, or decomposed tissue. Target source may be concealed by natural materials such as dirt, leaves, or brush; however, it will not be buried.
Large Area Search
A minimum of three (3) additional areas of human disturbance will be present within the search area. Each search sector will have a maximum time limit of twenty (20) minutes.
Certification II
The K9 Team will be required to search two (2) rural areas, each ranging in size from a minimum of five (5) acres to a maximum of ten (10) acres. Each search area may contain zero (0) to two (2) sources and may include any form of human remains, including but not limited to blood, bone, teeth, charred remains, flesh, or tissue in varying stages of decompositon.
Target sources may be concealed by natural materials such as dirt, leaves, or foliage to a depth not exceeding eight (8) inches, or may be elevated up to a maximum height of eight (8) feet. A minimum of three (3) additional areas of human disturbance will be present within each search area. All target sources will be placed at a minimum, thirty (30) hours prior to the certification attempt.
Large Area Search (Buried/Elevated)
Certification III
Large Area Search (Buried/Elevated)
The K9 Team will be required to search two (2) rural areas, each ranging in size from a minimum of five (5) acres to a maximum of ten (10) acres. Each search area may contain zero (0) to two (2) sources and may include any form of human remains, including but not limited to blood, bone, teeth, charred remains, flesh, or tissue in varying stages of decompositon.
Target sources may be concealed by natural materials such as dirt, leaves, or foliage to a depth not exceeding eight (8) inches, or may be elevated up to a maximum height of eight (8) feet. A minimum of three (3) additional areas of human disturbance will be present within each search area. All target sources will be placed at a minimum, thirty (30) hours prior to the certification attempt. Each search area will have a maximum time limit of sixty (60) minutes.
Rubble Search
The K9 Team will be required to search rubble piles designed to simulate disaster environments or collapsed structures. The search area will not exceed one (1) acre in size. Each search area may contain zero (0) to two (2) sources and may include any form of human remains, including but not limited to blood, bone, teeth, charred remains, flesh, or tissue in varying stages of decomposition.
All target sources will be placed a minimum of ten (10) hours prior to the certification attempt. The Maximum allotted search time is twenty-five (25) minutes.
The K9 Team will be required to conduct a multiple-vehicle search consisting of a minimum of five (5) vehicles. One (1) to three (3) vehicles may contain target odor and may include any form of human remains, including but not limited to blood, bone, teeth, charred remains, flesh, or tissue in varying stages of decomposition.
All target sources will be placed a minimum of three (3) hours prior to the certification attempt. The Maximum allotted search time is twenty (20) minutes.
Vehicle Search
Water Search [optional]
The K9 Team will be required to search two (2) aquatic environments, which may include streams, rivers, or lakes. The size of each search area will be determined by the APDA evaluator. Each search area may contain zero (0) to two (2) target sources to include any form of human remains, including but not limited to blood, bone, teeth, charred remains, flesh, or tissue in varying stages of decomposition.
Source placement will be conducted in accordance with site conditions and may be influenced by boat accessibility. All target sources will be submerged at a minimum depth of five (5) feet and placed no less than thirty (30) hours prior to the certification attempt.
The Maximum allotted search time is sixty (60) minutes.
*If the K9's TFR is an aggressive alert, the handler must notify the evaluator prior to concealing hides to ensure the safety of private property.
