Pentagon Search
New York
Lisa Nyland of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police (NRP) and her
dog, a female yellow lab named Jesse, were asked to be part of the Search And
Recovery (SAR) efforts at the Pentagon immediately following the 9-11 attack.
On Sept. 17, a fellow K-9 handler from the Maryland National Capital Police
contacted Nyland, asking if she could be available to assist. By Sept. 19, the
FBI had faxed a letter of deployment to Nyland's regional office requesting the
services of her and her dog. By Saturday morning, Sept. 22, Nyland and Jesse
were on their way to the Pentagon.
"We arrived at the K-9 Recovery Command Post. I was amazed at the extent of
the devastation to the building. The south parking area contained supply tents
set up by the military, Salvation Army and the Red Cross. Hundreds of people
passed in and out of this area, known as 'Camp Unity,' " she said.
"We were all outfitted with required equipment. Everyone entering the work
area had to wear a Tyvek suit, rubber boots, rubber gloves, respirators or
masks, goggles or sunglasses, and either a helmet or baseball hat. Pet stores
had donated collars and leads so that handlers wouldn't contaminate their own
equipment. Bobcats, dump trucks and excavators zipped back and forth from two
large piles of debris. From these large piles, material was scooped and spread
over six pads that were approximately 30-foot-by-30-foot square.
"All of the debris was covered with dust. A dog team would be asked to do a
hasty search over these pad areas. Any remains located by the team were
immediately bagged as evidence for mortuary personnel and placed in the evidence
tent. The site would then be searched by hand and raked for any further evidence
before being scanned once again by another K-9 team for anything that may have
been overlooked. The search effort for evidence and human remains continued
around the clock until all of the debris had been examined.
"After working in the search area for 20 to 30 minutes, the K-9 and handler
would then proceed to a decontamination tent specifically set up for the dogs.
Vets and veterinary technicians would then place the dog in a shallow pool of
water and dishwashing liquid, gently scrubbing the pads of their feet, their
legs, chests and stomachs, then sponging off their faces, ears, and noses. The
handlers were cut out of their exposure suits and boots. The team would then be
relayed back to the command post to wait their next turn in rotation where the
entire process would begin again."
"Of the 189 people whose remains were recovered at the Pentagon site, 185
were identified," Nyland said. "That made it personal to me. We knew we were
helping people with those results."
K-9
Specialty Search Associates
