It's time for a new summary, and as we draw the line at the end of 2017, we conclude that we were once again quite busy.
One of the most significant achievements of 2017 (and of our activity as a whole) was the signing of the protocol with the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU). This was a major step toward the official integration of civilian search and rescue dog teams into emergency response structures.
We continued training with our dogs for missing-person searches, and over the course of the year we took part in 5 search missions alongside the authorities: in May in Petreni and Folt (Hunedoara County), Ocna Sugatag (Maramureș County) in July, again in Folt (Hunedoara County) in September, and in Zlatna (Alba County) in October.
In 2017 we also took part in exams to confirm, through international certification, the training level of our handler-dog teams. There were two such exams: in Ebreichsdorf, Austria, in May, and in Wattens, Austria, in December. As a result, we now have 3 dogs certified at level A for area search and rubble search (Aka, Check and Dino), as well as one dog certified for avalanche search (Yukan'na). We are also still joined by our elementary-level dogs: Amir – forest and rubble, Diesel – rubble, Diamond – rubble, Morris – forest, Didi – forest, Modjo – rubble, Boris – rubble.
Working together with our partners across the country, and training alongside them and alongside specialist organisations abroad, remained just as important throughout the past year. We organised the CST National Training Camp in March 2017, a camp that, besides CST volunteers, was also attended by employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs from the "Dr. Aurel Greblea" Canine Training Center in Sibiu, ISU Hunedoara (the Hunedoara County Emergency Inspectorate) and ISU Arad (the Arad County Emergency Inspectorate), as well as a member of the Salvamont (mountain rescue) public service in Harghita, and volunteers from Clubul Câinilor Utilitari (the Working Dogs Club) in Bucharest.
In May we took part in the Ebreichsdorf International Camp in Austria, organised by ORV and ORHB, marking 10 years since the Romanian and Austrian organisations began coming together for joint search and rescue dog training camps.
We also continued organising and taking part in events with a social and educational role. In February 2017, as every year, we took part in the International Canine Exhibition organised by ACH Cluj.
In April we once again took part in Emerson Safety Days.
In May we organised, together with Cora, the ninth edition of the Hiperparada Animalelor event in Cluj.
This year we also took part in the German Economy Autumn Festival – Herbstfest.
Thank you for your support, and we hope to have you alongside us in the year ahead too, which we hope will be just as interesting as the one that has ended.
The CST Team