International cooperation strengthens disaster preparedness worldwide and enables the exchange of proven methods – for more effective rescue operations and more lives saved.

REDOG welcomed two representatives from the University of Tokyo's Disaster Management department: the Professor of Disaster Management at the University of Tokyo and his colleague, who aim to advance the training of urban search and rescue (USAR) dogs in Japan. They were accompanied by a member of our partner organization DRDN, who served as interpreter.

REDOG and a network of search and rescue dog organizations in Japan have maintained close collaboration in search team training for years. The goals are recognition of search and rescue dogs in Japan and the establishment of standardized deployment tests. A major challenge in Japan: there are hardly any training facilities for USAR dogs.

The Japanese colleagues therefore visited REDOG's USAR training sites in Switzerland. At the Swiss Army training village in Epeisses, an army expert explained the facility's structure through a presentation and on-site demonstration. Under the guidance of specialists, the visitors gained insight into how the Swiss Rescue operates. Sincere thanks to everyone for their valuable support!

At the REDOG National Training Center in Ostermundigen, REDOG specialists demonstrated that with good planning and great commitment, realistic rubble can be built for dog training even on a limited budget. Members of the REDOG Construction Specialist Group presented proposals on how search areas adapted to Japan's building conditions and needs could be created using simple means.