In the wake of the devastating pair of earthquakes that struck north-central Venezuela, six SDF-trained teams from the Los Angeles County Fire Department (California Task Force 2) have deployed as USA-2 alongside other international urban search and rescue teams to assist in locating survivors who may be trapped beneath …
On Tuesday morning at approximately 12:30 AM, a second-alarm commercial building fire broke out in Lancaster, California. Following the initial emergency response, Human Remains Detection (HRD) canine teams were called to the scene to assist local officials with recovery efforts. SDF-trained teams Nick Bartel & Six and Jonathan Munguia & Clifford of the Los Angeles County Fire Department deployed to the site …
On May 5, 2026, SDF-Trained Team Max and Samantha Mar of the San Francisco Fire Department, California Task Force 3 (CA-TF3) were called into action to support a wide area search in San Francisco. The San Francisco Fire Department and local police responded to a vehicle crash where it was feared the driver had been ejected from …
Originally named “Bouncer,” this handsome Black Labrador was recruited from El Dorado County Animal Services in Placerville, CA. Upon being contacted about Bouncer’s potential, SDF staff called on long-time supporter and volunteer Penny Woodruff, who lived in that area, to help with his evaluation. Penny reported back that “he did well …
In 2015, SDF Canine Recruiter Kirsten Fulk was visiting shelters in her native Oregon to seek out homeless dogs that might have a future as urban disaster search dogs and hit the jackpot when she stopped at Brightside Animal Shelter in Redmond, OR. Kirsten explained, “The behaviorist at Brightside …
Our disaster search teams must always be ready to answer the call, no matter where they are or what they are training for. This past week, New York Task Force 2 (NY-TF2) canine Echo put that readiness into action when a single-family home exploded in Rochester, NY. At the …
