Baldwin, South Hills Stuck on Band-Aid

While many residents are familiar with and the fleet of ambulances located behind , many are unaware of a unique pair of partners stationed there. Assistant Chief Todd Plunkett and Band-Aid, a 5-year-old Labrador retriever, comprise a warm, energetic pair of public relations specialists who happen to also be highly-skilled search-and-rescue officers.

Plunkett and SRD (Search-and-Rescue Dog) Band-Aid make up Baldwin's Rescue K-9 Unit. They are certified by the North American and Pennsylvania Police Work Dog associations; however, Band-Aid’s work differs greatly from that of her “police dog” colleagues, known officially as Patrol Utility K-9s.

As Plunkett explains, “There are two . They track criminals and conduct drug searches, but that’s not what Band-Aid and I do at all.”

Plunkett further explains that, while his job duties are numerous, “Band-Aid has one job: to search.”

Once she locates a missing person or article, the rescue is left to her partner and the various members of the search team. It is also Plunkett’s responsibility to attend to his partner’s welfare.

“Band-Aid won’t protect herself,” he says. “That’s my job.” The focused dog is tireless when she is on a search, so Plunkett makes sure that she is hydrated, rested and secure, even retrofitting his Ford F-150 truck with a “roll-cage system” to keep Band-Aid safe while traveling.

Certification as an SRD requires intensive training, but the training for a K-9 unit is not only for the dog. Rather, both the handler and the SRD undergo rigorous exercises and education, which is ongoing.

“A senior handler told me a long time ago that ‘training stops the day you retire your dog,’” Plunkett says.

For these partners, training began when Band-Aid was 16 weeks old.

“We were both green,” Plunkett says.

Enter Master Trainer Pat Moloney, whose customized curriculum for the canine included basic obedience, tracking, mock searches and exposure to various stimuli, such as fireworks and other loud noises, gas smells, and more.

Band-Aid was socialized with children as well as adults of all ages and races, and she was introduced to a specific reward for her success: a favorite canvas toy suitable for a challenging round of tug-of-war. Plunkett utilizes this reward at the conclusion of every search. And it’s a game they only play at work. (Band-Aid has an assortment of other toys to entertain her at home.)

Born in November 2005, Band-Aid has been in service since January 2007. She was donated to Baldwin EMS by an anonymous benefactor. Pennsylvania State Representative Harry A. Readshaw stepped in to help with the costs of training, equipment, modification to an earlier vehicle, and veterinarian bills.

The black Lab puppy, named “Band-Aid” by Plunkett and his family, has lived ever since with her partner and all of Plunkett’s other “girls”: his wife, two daughters and a new kitten named Rascal (aka “F-9”).

When she’s not on duty, Band-Aid enjoys playing with her family in the backyard of their Blossom Drive home in South Baldwin. But when it’s time to work, look out: Band-Aid dons her badge and eagerly races to her berth in the truck.

Many of Band-Aid’s workdays entail personal appearances in front of civic groups and health fairs around Pittsburgh’s South Hills area. It’s the lessons offered during school visits that provide the most immediate gratification. Plunkett and Band-Aid teach students how to be safe around dogs and explore the sad reality known as “stranger danger.” Kids enjoy the lessons and always want to pet and hug Band-Aid.

“She loves it, too,” Plunkett says. “If there are 500 people in a room, she wants 500 people to touch her.”

A few years ago, coaxed by other K-9 handlers, the Baldwin K-9 team implemented trading cards to distribute during school visits. Band-Aid’s photo is on the front of the card with information about the unit and its activities on the reverse.

But search-and-rescue remains the pair’s primary focus. Plunkett estimated that he and Band-Aid participate in 10 to 12 searches per year, and they travel to many different counties.

He elaborated on the basics of an operation: A search, led by an incident commander, frequently spans hundreds of acres of wooded terrain. Band-Aid is often joined by other area search dogs, who, directed by their handlers, run out ahead to follow scents, sounds and obvious signs of life. Plunkett and the other handlers utilize their own unique set of tools, like instinct, experience and logic, while tracking. The team’s successes to date are many.

For instance, last fall, Plunkett and Band-Aid were deployed as part of a team to Kecksburg, PA, to search for an elderly man who was lost in the woods for 16 hours. The search area was vast, but Plunkett reasoned that, when given a choice, most people would opt to travel downhill rather than uphill for the simple reason that “it’s easier.”

Plunkett’s instincts paid off, and the specialized skills and talents of each partner led the unit to find the missing man in little over an hour.

The man was returned to his family, and the Baldwin Paramedic Rescue K-9 Unit returned to its station after a grueling round of tug-of-war.

The K-9 Unit is available to respond 24 hours a day and may be accessed through the Allegheny County 911 system. To book Plunkett and Band-Aid for a personal appearance, email them at Station510@BaldwinEMS.com or phone the EMS business office at 412-884-0666.