Lakeland Fire Dog Earns FEMA Credentials

LAKELAND, FL — Lakeland Fire Rescue officially has a new four-legged member on its Urban Search and Rescue Team. Phinnegan has joined fellow canine partner Cabela in earning coveted certification from FEMA.

Both dogs work alongside Lt. Vince Hazelbaker and are considered staples at the city’s Fire Station No. 4. Phinnegan, or just "Phin" for short, joined the team about a year ago. Phin just received FEMA Type I certification in search and rescue.

“This is a major accomplishment,” fire rescue explained on its Facebook page. “Type I certification, awarded by the FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is the most difficult level of certification for a live search and rescue dog. The FEMA certification requires the search animal to perform search and rescue standards outside the direct supervision and guidance, independently of its handler.”

The assessment and the training that leads up to it are both grueling, the agency noted. During certification testing, dogs are monitored to see if they can avoid distractions, think for themselves, repeatedly find targets within a minimal margin of error and more.

“As a result of the difficult standards it takes dedicated handlers and bright dogs like Phin and Cabela to achieve this level of certification,” the agency noted. The Type I certification is valid for three years and enables a human and canine team to deploy anywhere in the nation during a disaster. In addition, teams may also deploy during FEMA-sponsored relief efforts internationally. FEMA certified teams, for example, went into Haiti in 2009 to help find victims of the earthquakes.

“In the event that a disaster like that strikes again, Lt. Hazelbaker and his dogs are certified and ready to help,” the agency wrote.

Hazelbaker didn’t work alone in making sure Phin was ready for assessment. Fire Maintenance Mechanic Jonathan Beale, who also works at Station No. 4, volunteered to assist. Beale helped out by “playing the victim during the many practice runs during his lunch breaks and on weekends.”

Hazelbaker pursued FEMA training for Cabela on his own several years ago, the agency said. That independent journey has enabled him and his canine partners to provide “a tremendous service to the people of Polk County, the State of Florida, and throughout the nation by providing the means necessary to find the lost.”

Keep up with what's happening by following Lakeland Patch on Facebook!

Photos courtesy of Lakeland Fire Rescue