Search Teams

Our Search Teams

Baja California Task Force 3 (BC-TF3)

California Regional Task Force 7 (CA-RTF7) Ventura County

California Task Force 1 (CA-TF1) Los Angeles City

California Task Force 2 (CA-TF2) Los Angeles County

California Task Force 3 (CA-TF3) Bay Area

California Task Force 4 (CA-TF4) Oakland

California Task Force 5 (CA-TF5) Orange County

California Task Force 7 (CA-TF7) Sacramento

California Task Force 8 (CA-TF8) San Diego

Nebraska Task Force 1 (NE-TF1)

New York Task Force 2 (NY-TF2)

Oklahoma Task Force 1 (OK-TF1)

Texas Task Force 1 (TX-TF1)

Utah Task Force 1 (UT-TF1)

Virginia Task Force 1 (VA-TF1)

Virginia Task Force 2 (VA-TF2)

Mac & James McCandless

Mac & James McCandless

Team Info

Task Force: California Task Force 7 (CA-TF7)
Agency: West Sacramento Fire Department
Level: DHS/FEMA Certified
Most Recent Certification: April 25, 2021

 

Search Dog Info

Breed: Black Labrador
Sex: Male
Born: March 1, 2016
Recruited from: Private Donor in Bumpass, VA
Sponsor: Patricia Snyder
Named in Honor of: Teresa MacPerson

Mac was found in a shelter in Virginia by a wilderness search and rescue handler looking for a second working dog. She had high hopes for Mac, given his innate drive and intellect, but unfortunately, her current search dog made it very clear that their household was not fit for both dogs and Mac would not be a welcome addition to their pack.

Luckily, the handler is a friend of SDF training partner Teresa MacPherson, who had a perfect career recommendation for this toy-driven and athletic black Labrador Retriever. She suggested Mac be evaluated for SDF, and after his initial tests, he made the journey to California, thanks to volunteer pilot Sean Moran, who quickly jumped at the chance to transport this lively pup! After a smooth flight and formal evaluation, Mac was accepted into our program with a few happy tail wags and enjoyed every minute of his training!

Mac aced our training with ease, blowing trainers away with his dedication, drive and accuracy. He completed our program quickly and was paired with handler James McCandless.

James was previously a U.S. Marine who deployed to Afghanistan, where he saw handlers and their working canines in action sniffing out bombs and narcotics. Interested, James transitioned from being a Marine to being a firefighter and was finally able to apply for a search dog in 2019.

Dedicated and consistent, James visited SDF for a year before attending his Handler Course, remaining patient and flexible due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Nevertheless, he was partnered with his strong and independent canine to officially become a handler on August 28, 2020.

Mac and James will work together towards FEMA certification as part of California Task Force 7 and will be a valuable resource as the first search dog for West Sacramento Fire Department.

We appreciate everyone who was able to bring Mac and James together and we look forward to seeing them be successful in the future!