SF firedog makes history while deployed to Shelly Fire
SF firedog makes history while deployed to Shelly Fire
A four-legged member of the San Francisco Fire Department made history this week, becoming the first ‘Incident Support Canine’ to be deployed to a wildfire in California. Sadie, a yellow labrador, is currently stationed around 350 miles north of San Francisco in Siskiyou County at the Shelly Fire. According to Cal Fire on Sunday, the fire has burned 14,965 acres, and is 3 percent contained.
SAN FRANCISCO - A four-legged member of the San Francisco Fire Department made history this week, becoming the first ‘Incident Support Canine’ to be deployed to a wildfire in California.
Sadie, a yellow labrador, is currently stationed around 350 miles north of San Francisco in Siskiyou County at the Shelly Fire. According to CalFire on Sunday, the fire has burned 14,965 acres and is 3 percent contained.
"They’re working incredibly hard on the lines and they come down in the evening, after working for hours on end, and Sadie’s here to greet them," said the dog's handler, San Francisco firefighter Christina Gibbs.
Sadie, a therapy dog of sorts, is there to help ease some of the stress that firefighters face at a large wildfire.
"The terrain they’re dealing with is incredibly steep, the day is long, it is a hot firefight," said Gibbs. "Her role out here in the fire camp is to aid to the mental well-being of the firefighters coming off the lines."
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Gibbs said Sadie had to undergo 1000 hours of training, about a year’s worth, to become certified for her role at the department in 2021. Before the wildfire, much of her work revolved around helping those impacted by emergencies in San Francisco cope with the aftermath.
"We call it the ultimate icebreaker. So when someone’s trying to talk about the critical incident that they just were involved in, sometimes petting a dog relaxes them enough to be able to speak," said Gibbs.
The pup's presence is currently proving just as soothing in Siskiyou County.
"Some of the comments that are being made to me are, this is the best thing that has happened to me today. I miss my dog. This is the best. I’m so grateful for you being here," said Gibbs.
Gibbs said the pair still have a lot of firefighters to meet before they head home. Her hope is that other fire departments with incident support canines on staff, will notice the work they've done, and begin deploying their dogs to fires too.