FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue officially welcomed K9 Scout, a three-year-old American Field Labrador, into its ranks during a badge-pinning ceremony Thursday.
Scout, who specializes in search and rescue, now joins USAR Task Force Two alongside his handler, Firefighter Erick Swartz.
“Today, we recognize not just the hard work of Scout, but also the dedication of Firefighter Swartz and the entire team that has supported them along this journey,” said Fire Chief Stephen Gollan in a press release. “Search and rescue dogs like Scout are invaluable assets in emergency response and we are proud to have him as part of our department.”
Scout began training at eight weeks old and earned national Live Find Certification in December, making him ready for deployment in disaster situations.
As part of fire service tradition, Scout was assigned the rank of lieutenant, symbolically outranking his handler.
Swartz said he and Scout are prepared to serve at a moment’s notice.
“It’s been an incredible journey training alongside Scout and this marks the culmination of years of hard work and trust-building,” he said. “I’m honored to have him by my side, and we’re both ready to serve whenever and wherever we’re needed.”
Swartz added that Scout helps his human counterparts respond to all kind of emergencies.
“When a building collapses or you’re trying to pinpoint an area, they will cut the search time in half by doing things we can’t do. Obviously they’re going to run on the rubble, be lighter, run around, see if there’s someone there or we can move on quicker.”
Scout has a long career ahead of him as he is expected to work alongside his handler for at least the next eight years.
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