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 …
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 …
Our teams train year-round for the unexpected, and this past week, that readiness was put to the test when Trinity Maurer and Search Dog Goldie deployed on their very first mission together! On April 13th, Trinity was in Virginia Beach, VA, teaching a canine care refresher course to her …
The energy on our campus was palpable on Saturday, April 18, 2026, as we gathered with staff, friends, and family to celebrate a significant milestone: the official pairing of five new search teams. We were especially honored to have our founder, Wilma Melville, join us for the celebration as we …
On January 5, 2026, SDF-trained teams Michael Bruce & Cooper and Sean Monville & Nanci of Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), along with OCFA teammates Jill Haynes & Rubble, responded to a mudslide that occurred earlier that morning in Orange County, California. The mudslide, caused by California’s recent heavy …
Seven SDF-trained search teams deployed to Washington state as an atmospheric river moves through the Pacific Northwest, causing widespread flooding and mudslides throughout western Washington. Erik Falkenstrom & Leslie, Brian Medley & Navy, and Alyssa Corsa & Wheeler of California Task Force 4, and Brandon Budd & Otter, Pat …
