DEATH IS IN THE AIR: Cadaver Dogs Pick Up the Scent

While writing Primary Source, the fifth book in the Aimee Machado Mystery series, I was surprised to discover that many cadaver dogs and their handlers are volunteers. This fascinating topic led to further research and another chance to share facts I’ve learned by writing fiction.

Here’s what I’ve learned about Human Remains Detection Dogs, more commonly referred to as cadaver dogs.

Why does law enforcement rely so heavily on volunteer cadaver dogs? It’s usually a matter of cost. Human remains detection dogs are specialists and are not needed on a daily basis the same way a regular K9 patrol dog is used. Many smaller law enforcement agencies do not have the funding to train and maintain a cadaver dog that may be used only a few times a year.

That brings up another fact. Dogs trained for search and rescue, or to sniff out drugs, are not usually cross-trained as cadaver dogs because of the differences in the types of scents. Drug dogs are trained to recognize drugs, cadaver dogs are trained to recognize human remains.

And just how are those cadaver dogs trained? Most canines take around 18 months to two years to be fully trained. While they are often Labrador retrievers or German shepherds, the breed is not as important as a dog with the requisite traits: good energy, ability to focus, obedience and a good nose. Depending on the breed, a dog’s sense of smell is around 100 to 1,000 times greater than a human’s, but the dog still needs direction and training.

Here’s a term I had not heard until I began this research: pseudo corpse scent. Yep. It’s just what you think: an ersatz odor created to mimic the scent of death. It comes in three different formulas: recently dead, decomposed, and drowned.

However, some expert trainers recommend using the real thing, because human blood has unique organic compounds. Sometimes searches involve dangerous areas like collapsed buildings. Before risking injury to themselves or their dogs, handlers want to be certain the dog is hitting on human remains rather than a dead stray animal, or even a pet. It is legal in the U.S. to obtain bodily components like human placenta and blood, but that is not always easy, so some handlers resort to using their own blood for training purposes.

The dog is often trained to associate the smell of death with its favorite toy, and when ready, it should be trained to search night or day, in various kinds of terrain, from wilderness to rural farmlands to the concrete environment of urban settings. The scent of death could be old dry bones or even a death as recent as one hour before the search began. When the canine discovers the source of the scent, it should sit or lie down calmly. Digging, jumping around, or even urinating could destroy evidence.

Dog owners interested in volunteering to train their animals for this work might benefit by forming relationships with their local law enforcement agencies. Handlers should be physically fit and able to pass background checks. Other important skills include working with maps and GPS. They must also have the disposition to remain composed no matter what their dog might uncover.

Visit the links below or use the keywords “human remains detection dogs” or “cadaver dogs” to search for more information on this topic.

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/21/magazine/how-to-train-a-cadaver-dog.html

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/sep/08/cadaver-dogs-trained-to-smell-death

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/10/1310xx-working-dog-dead-body-cat-warren-science/

In Primary Source, the fifth book in the Aimee Machado Mystery series, Aimee and Nick are assisted in their search for evidence by Ginger, their Chesapeake Bay retriever recently trained as a volunteer Human Remains Detection Dog.

All of the books in the series are available online in paperback and eBook formats from Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and by order from your local bookstore. The series is published by Camel Press, an imprint of Epicenter Press in Kenmore, Washington

Medical Interpreters – Saving Lives

Facts I’ve Learned by Writing Fiction

This post is a result of my research for SPINE DAMAGE, book four in my Aimee Machado Mystery series featuring a hospital librarian with a specialty in forensics. 

Ever wonder what happens when a critically ill or injured patient with no knowledge of the English language arrives in an American hospital’s Emergency Department?

 

In Spine Damage, book four of the Aimee Machado Mystery series, that’s just what occurs at fictional Timbergate Medical Center in Northern California. The incident involves a young Portuguese-speaking man with a potentially fatal gunshot wound to his spine. It also results in a new mystery involving Aimee Machado, our hospital librarian.

The critically injured patient cannot tell his story to his doctors or to the police without the help of an interpreter. Aimee finds help for this fictional patient, but what would happen in real life?

Raise your hand if you speak English, and Portuguese, and if you’re also fluent in medical terminology in both languages. No one? The specialty of Certified Medical Interpreter (CMI) is currently experiencing a 29% growth rate, so if you like languages and you’re seeking a career path, it’s worth a look.

Before we go further, let’s clear up the difference between interpreters and translators. Both require a knowledge of more than one language, and both require skilled specialists, but for different reasons. The most obvious difference is the medium: translators interpret written text; interpreters translate orally.

Authorities in the field agree that expert knowledge of subject matter is equally as important as interpreting experience. When a medical interpreter is involved, the accurate oral exchange of information between health care provider and patient can be crucial. A qualified medical interpreter must have an extensive vocabulary, including medical terminology and an ability to express thoughts concisely in both languages. Beyond that, the interpreter must be familiar with both cultures.

Although the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) does not require that hospitals use certified interpreters, it has clarified the standards for qualified and competent interpreters. Qualifications and competencies can be met in a variety of ways (not simply through certification). Those include:

– Knowledge of medical terminology
– Language Proficiency Testing
– Training in interpretation best practices
– Interpreting experience in a healthcare setting

There are documented cases of patients being saved, or lost, because of the quality of medical interpretation. Who knew that second language we were required to learn in school could someday lead us into a profession that would offer the opportunity to save lives?

For more information on medical interpreters, visit one or more of the following sites:

http://www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org/

http://www.imiaweb.org/

https://www.aafp.org/afp/2014/1001/p476.html

http://blog.cyracom.com/joint-commission-standards-healthcare-interpretation

Visit www.sharonstgeorge.com again soon for another  fact I’ve learned while writing SPINE DAMAGE, book 4 in this series.

Books in the hospital-based Aimee Machado Mysteries are published by Camel Press (an imprint of Epicenter Press) and are available for purchase in print and eBook format from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and from your local bookstore.
http://camelpress.com