Q&A
Canine handlers and their relationship with the dogs
0:53:28
·
3 min
Chief Fire Marshal Flynn discusses the relationship between canine handlers and their dogs, emphasizing that the dogs are part of the handlers' families and go home with them every night.
- Canines go home with their handlers and are part of their families
- The FDNY does not have kennels for the dogs
- The relationship between handlers and dogs is being formalized in the rewriting of BFI rules and regulations
- This close relationship ensures the dogs are well-cared for and maintains a strong bond between handler and canine
Joann Ariola
0:53:28
Okay.
0:53:28
Great.
0:53:29
You really did expound on one little question.
0:53:31
So, you know, we're lucky enough to have with us today, fire marshal Joseph Giacomo, who was there when when this first began, and I wanna thank him for service to the department.
0:53:40
I know that that there was a lot of oversight.
0:53:42
There's a lot of he was one of the initial handlers, and he's gonna do a demonstration for us today because I thought if we gave the robot canine a a chance we should give our our live canines a chance to show what they do because they are instrumental.
0:53:58
And and it is important that their handlers are trained.
0:54:02
And so so what happens okay.
0:54:06
So I'm a drunk lover.
0:54:08
I'm an animal lover.
0:54:09
So what happens when the the handler goes on vacation?
0:54:13
What happens to the canine?
0:54:14
Like, is there a, like, a canine vet area?
0:54:18
Is there a canine?
0:54:20
You know?
Daniel Flynn
0:54:21
Well, our our canines, all of our canines go home with the handler.
0:54:26
So they're part of their family.
0:54:28
We do not have kennels.
0:54:30
We do not have the resources to have kennels within BFI.
0:54:34
We we do have the option to utilize NY be these candles, but that's really not ideal.
0:54:39
These dogs are part of our handlers families for the most part, and they take them home every night.
0:54:44
A lot of them have children and they are part of their family.
0:54:47
This isn't we're not again.
0:54:49
You know, we're not at war.
0:54:50
So, you know, like, these are they they do have a very serious job.
0:54:54
However, you know, they love their dogs.
0:54:56
So they take them home every night, and they care for them as if they would any other family pet.
Joann Ariola
0:55:00
Right.
0:55:00
And that's written into your rules and regulations.
0:55:02
This is your dog, your handler.
0:55:05
The end?
Daniel Flynn
0:55:05
We are working on rewriting all of our books.
0:55:08
And I believe we are really at the finish line with that.
0:55:11
It was a big process to get it done.
0:55:13
We were able to secure funding to have a company working work with us called Vexipol to rewrite all of our books from top to bottom, and that will have an extensive canine policy within those manuals.
Joann Ariola
0:55:28
And we spoke about training for the fire marshals.
0:55:30
What type of training is ongoing and required?
0:55:34
To keep the canine ready for an investigation?
Daniel Flynn
0:55:37
I think I I addressed that in that.
0:55:38
It did.
0:55:39
Oh, nice statement.
Joann Ariola
0:55:40
There was a lot there.
Daniel Flynn
0:55:40
Yeah.
0:55:41
I just I just wanna make sure
Joann Ariola
0:55:42
you just wanna try to pick it out for me.
Daniel Flynn
0:55:44
I wanted to be comprehensive.
0:55:46
Yeah.
0:55:46
Yeah.
0:55:46
So so they train every day.
0:55:48
That's the easy answer.
0:55:51
We do train every day and are they required to have 16 hours of training a month, and I think we go well above that.
0:55:58
Our units, as I mentioned, they compete in competitions.
0:56:01
We regularly win those competitions.
0:56:04
I I think we are we're relatively new in the canine world, but I I'm very proud of the work that our canine members have have done and accomplished.
0:56:13
And, you know, as you mentioned, the the dog robot dogs are a great PR thing for the fire department as are our live dogs.
0:56:22
I I love getting them out, not only to fire scenes, to do that serious work, but to do fire safety education as well at think that goes a long way.
0:56:31
I think people listen to your message.
0:56:32
When you bring the dog out, our dogs are our friendly dogs.
0:56:35
You know, they're not they're not forced
Joann Ariola
0:56:37
to So so their continued training is really done by the handler.
Daniel Flynn
0:56:40
So the handler is trained and And our trainer.
0:56:43
Yes.
0:56:43
We have a we have a trainer as well.
0:56:45
Full time trainer who operates as one of those teams, and they do train together at least once a week.
