After almost being euthanized at the Anne Arundel County animal shelter, a 2-year-old German shepherd was rescued and trained to be a fire marshal dog. News4’s Derrick Ward shares how a fire department saved Boomer’s life.
Boomer is one of the newest, and fluffiest, first responders in Prince George's County, Maryland.
The two-year-old German Shepherd had a circuitous path to public service. Before joining the Prince George's County Fire Department, he had been in an Anne Arundel County shelter, where things almost ended for him.
"He was a pound rescue set to be euthanized probably within hours," said Cpl. Andrew Cummings with the Prince George's County Police Department.
That was about three months ago. Anne Arundel County Police saw something special in Boomer, and thought he would make a good addition to their K9 unit. But the department couldn't find a place for him -- so they called friends one county over, in Prince George's.
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At the Prince George's County Fire Department, Boomer got a new lease -- or leash -- on life.
"The ability to add another resource to our department to fulfill our mission... when Anne Arundel called and donated the dog, we were excited," said Chief Tiffany Greene with the Prince George's County Fire Department.
Boomer went through weeks of bomb detection training, with routines like placing him in a dumpster full of plastic bottles to acclimate him to noise and movement, and teaching him how to "alert," or how to sit when he detects explosive materials.
"He basically went from a kennel dog who was not very sociable to a working dog," said Cummings. "As you can see, he can be around people, very sociable, just a good working dog."
Boomer is also an important addition to Prince George's County's Bomb Detection Unit.
The tradition of dogs and the fire department goes back to the days when fire apparatuses were horse-drawn. Dalmatians would help keep the horses calm, and guide the horses on the street, clearing the way ahead of them.
That's changed, and the technology has changed, but there's still a place for canines.
"We'll utilize him for suspicious package calls, post-blast investigations, and special events in the county," a spokesperson for the department told News4.
Prince George's County is one of several dozen jurisdictions where the bomb squad operates under the aegis of the Fire Marshal.
The K9 handlers are police officers, and Boomer will be going home with his handler to become part of a pack of four other dogs. At work, he's already part of an adopted family of first responders -- a far cry from euthanization.
"He's just excited to work every day, living life to its fullest now," said Cummings.
