John Appleby and Monty

New Zealand Urban Search and Rescue Dogs use Transmission Gully motorway project for training opportunity

On Sunday 4 December at the Transmission Gully motorway, Lanes Flat site in Pauatahanui, urban search and rescue dogs, Ted and Monty with their handlers John Appleby and Clare Robertson got to work on some large stockpiles of rock and boulder.

The USAR Search Dog Association spotted the stockpiles from State Highway 58 and made contact with the Transmission Gully motorway project team because the site looked like ideal training grounds for their urban search and rescue dogs.

“The large piles of rock looked like they would perfectly simulate the type of terrain people can get trapped in following the collapse of structures after large earthquakes, tornados, landslides and other natural and man-made disasters,” said dog handler Clare Robertson.

After working closely with the project’s Health and Safety team to make sure they could support the training exercise while keeping both people and dogs safe Ted and Monty got to work finding the people hidden in the stock piles. Once they find the hidden person they are rewarded with a toy.

“Humans shed up to 40,000 skin cells every minute and it is these tiny particles floating in the air that USAR dogs are trained to locate. Fast and effective location of trapped victims has a major effect on their chances of rescue and recovery,” said Clare.

Project Director for Transmission Gully motorway, Boyd Knights said “We were really pleased to be able to help. Sometimes these things are tricky to pull off because we have such stringent health and safety standards. We worked through all the potential issues and risks with our Health and Safety team, such as making sure the rock piles we allowed the USAR team access to were stable enough to support the exercise. After working through our process we were all very confident no harm could come to the dogs, their handlers or the hidden people.”

The Transmission Gully motorway project team has also previously provided training opportunities on site for Wellington Police Armed Offenders Squad, Wellington Police dog handlers and the Tawa Fire Brigade.

Ted (Black & White) and Monty (Black) with their handlers Clare Robertson and John Appleby

“We’re pleased to be able to work with this range of local emergencies services so they can be well prepared when they are needed,” said Boyd.

Clare says “The USAR search dogs must be healthy, energetic, high drive dogs who can cope with the stress of being around many other dogs, handlers, rescue workers and the noise, confusion and stress of a rescue site. So an active construction site, such as the Transmission Gully project’s Lanes Flat site, is an ideal type of training ground.”

“Over the remainder of the project we’ll have various types of material stockpiled in our yard which can simulate different types of rescue terrain so we’re looking forward to working with the NZ USAR team again,” said Boyd.

Transmission Gully is a 27km four-lane motorway which will run from Linden to Mackays Crossing, near Paekakariki, providing a high quality alternative to the existing coastal highway.

Built to demanding specifications, its design and construction reflect the need for an alternative route to Wellington that will be both quicker and safer for motorists and more resilient to earthquakes and storms. Five interchanges will connect the route to Mackays Crossing, State Highway 58, eastern Porirua, Kenepuru and Linden.

The Transmission Gully motorway is scheduled to be open for traffic in 2020.

For more information about Transmission Gully motorway project visit http://www.tg.co.nz/

For more information about the USAR Search Dog Association visit www.usardogs.org.nz/history.html

“Transmission Gully is being delivered as a Public Private Partnership by the Wellington Gateway Partnership, on behalf of the NZ Transport Agency."

About this Project:

In July 2014, the NZ Transport Agency signed a Public Private Partnership (PPP) contract with the Wellington Gateway Partnership (WGP) to design, construct, finance, operate and maintain the new Transmission Gully motorway for the 25 years that will follow the construction period. It is expected to have the motorway open for traffic by 2020.

WGP has contracted a joint venture of CPB Contractors (formerly Leighton Contractors) and HEB Construction (CPB HEB JV) to undertake design and construction.

The Transmission Gully motorway will be a key component of the 110km Wellington Northern Corridor Road of National Significance, which when fully completed will provide a safer, more reliable and more efficient highway connection from Levin to Wellington, connecting the city to the growing economic centres of Kāpiti and the Manawatu and subsequently the wider North Island.

Importantly for the Wellington region, in the event of a major earthquake, it will be quicker to reinstate the Transmission Gully motorway than the existing State Highway 1. The motorway will also reduce traffic on the existing State Highway 1 which will provide a safer environment for communities along this route.

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