Everyone loves firefighters….
The HS Zoo has featured several articles about the dogs of law enforcement. We think that time is past due to pay attention to the dogs of the fire/rescue world. And just like their human counterparts the firefighters, everyone loves the fire dogs. Although fire departments across the country can use dogs to detect accelerants, or even to detect cancer, today we are going to focus on the dogs of the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Task Forces.
FEMA started the concept of US&R Task Force in 1991 and today there are 28 task forces (TFs) spread across the country. The TFs are sponsored largely by local fire service agencies but are supported by FEMA. In return for the support the TFs must meet rigorous standards. Their mission is to locate, rescue and provide immediate treatment to the victims of structural collapse due to natural or manmade disasters. Notable responses of FEMA US&R teams includes Oklahoma City, the events of 9/11, and innumerable hurricanes.
An essential component of each USAR team is the search dog and handler. Each team is required to have a minimum of four certified dogs and handlers.
Meet Captain Laura Murdock and her dog Frankie. Laura and Frankie are members of the Montgomery County (MD) Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) USAR Task Force which in FEMA speak is known as Maryland Task Force 1. Laura serves as MCFRS’ EMS Quality Assurance Officer in her day job, but works just as many hours as a search dog handler.
Laura started her dog handling career in 2000 as a wilderness search specialist with her partner “Rookie” as members of the Chesapeake Search and Rescue team. When Laura was hired by the MCFRS, she was recruited by the USAR team leaders as a search dog handler and received her first dog Frankie in 2004. Laura and Frankie worked hard and gained their FEMA live search certification within 18 months. Frankie is now retired and Ashes (pictured below) is Laura’s new partner.
MCFRS is fairly unique in that the USAR canines are considered part of the on-duty work force. Their handlers work normal shifts in the fire stations and are expected to bring their canine team members to work with them. The dogs are not bothered by noisy firehouses and sometimes even run calls.
So Frankie was a favorite member of every station/shift that Laura was assigned to and was sometimes even “dognapped” by countywide supervisors to go visit other stations.
MCFRS canines have assisted in searching for live victims in building collapses in Montgomery County (most recently at the Arliss Street gas explosion) and in locating house fire victims.
Among their deployments, Frankie and Laura were deployed to Hurricane Sandy and were airlifted into parts of New Jersey to “clear” multiple collapsed houses and structures.
US&R dogs have a work ethic that most humans would blanche at. They are bred to be high energy dogs and to have stamina for 12 hour shifts. At the same time they are trained to be crated, and to be very disciplined in following directions and avoiding distractions.
US&R dogs must be highly agile and must be able to climb ladders and unstable rubble piles. Dogs and handlers are certified as a team and must recertify every three years. The career of a US&R dog lasts about 8 to 12 years with floppy eared breeds typically working longer than pointy eared ones.
If the dogs are dedicated to their work, so are the handlers. Laura admits that being a dog handler is a complete life style. The dogs live with their handlers and families and the dogs must be worked with every single day. Laura’s kids have helped by playing hide and seek with the dogs. Formal training occurs every two weeks for several hours.
When asked what she wishes people knew about US&R dogs, Laura replied that she wants people to know how amazing these dogs are in their jobs and even simply as therapeutic support to humans. She relates how people in New Jersey who had lost everything came up and hugged Frankie. She also vividly remembers how personnel at one of her old stations came back and played Frisbee with Frankie after a pediatric cardiac arrest.
So if you are lucky enough to meet a US&R canine team, be sure to give the dog a hug (after asking permission of course) and to shake the hand of the handler; but most importantly thank them both for their dedication to saving your life.
Contributed by Zookeeper AB, all pictures courtesy of L. Murdock.
