Davis Firehouse Dog Community Co-lab-oration

South Los Santos: Exciting news Los Santos citizens. The Davis Firehouse (Station 23) is getting a fire dog!

Assistant Chief for the Fire Department/EMS James Stone is seeking suggestions from the public to help name the new fire dog the Davis Firehouse is adopting from the service offered by the San Andreas Park Rangers (SAPR). She’s a very friendly and calm chocolate lab that was rescued near Mt. Gordo. They’re looking forward to having this new four-legged friend at the station to help improve morale and provide comfort to the crew during their limited downtime.

Fire dogs started out as carriage dogs. They were chosen based on important key features such as energy levels, endurance to keep up on long journeys, high level of obedience and good temperament. This is why Dalmatians became the perfect choice for carriage dogs. They fit all the necessary criteria and have a reputation for getting along extremely well with horses. 

In the late 1700’s the first horse-drawn fire carriages were  introduced and Dalmations continued to show how well-suited they were for the job. While firefighters worked to put out a fire the fire dogs would help keep the horses calm to reduce their stress. They also protected the carriage, horses, and fire crew. Back at the firehouse these fire dogs would share stable space with the horses they protected.

With the advent of motorized vehicles the role of fire dogs changes a bit. Modern firehouse dogs have some of the same responsibilities of previous carriage dogs. These include protecting the firefighters, fire trucks, as well as their equipment both on the trucks and in the firehouse. Additionally, these fire dogs play a big part as companions to the firefighters staying in the firehouse and acting as fire company mascots. Some are even trained as arson dogs to help sniff out traces of accelerants used in starting fires or help with fire safety education in their local communities.

The poll will be open until 8pm est on Saturday, January 22, 2022. After this we’ll open a second poll with a selection of the best names as determined by the department for everyone to vote for their favorite one.