JENKS, Okla. — Jenks first responders are getting specialized training in search and rescue.
"Anywhere we go, we tend to leave something behind or take something with us," said Michael Bonin, Spearpoint Training Instructor.
They are learning how to track footprints in the woods and are gathering information to develop a forensic picture. A footprint can reveal a lot of clues about a person's location and their mental and physical condition.
"We have certain measurements that we teach them to gather on a single footprint, as well as the stride, the straddle, the pitch and other factors as go through an environment," Bonin said. "And those are unique characteristics to us all."
This is part of a two-day training course by Spearpoint Training Group. They start by looking at and analyzing easy to find footprints.
"So it's not so much about them learning how to track in sand because that's not real world, this is Green Country," Bonin said. "So we teach them how to take techniques from the sandbox into what we call real world terrain so that they can follow the bread crumb trail more effectively people leave."
The Jenks Police Department says this training will come in handy when looking for missing persons.
"This type of tracking will allow officers to track suspects who are fleeing from officers on foot typically in the wooded areas around the city," said Sgt. Eric Bowdle with Jenks Police Department.
This training continues Saturday where they'll learn to track and find an instructor in the woods.
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