Behind the Badge
It’s a pretty good gig, and so far her career is off to a good start
Her name is Ember and she is the Facility Dog employed by the City of Orange Fire Department.
“She’s trained in love,” said Firefighter Mike Romero, her owner and handler, who is training Ember to work as the first service dog in the department.
Ember is an officially sworn, badge carrying City of Orange Fire therapy dog assigned to Station 4 with her owner, Mike Romero.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
In the case of the local firefighters and first responders whose jobs subject them to occasionally intense trauma, the nonjudgmental nuzzle of a wet nose can provide just that little bit of perfectly timed solace.
As fire departments nationwide prepare for Fire Awareness Week, Oct. 6-12 as part of Fire Awareness Month, embers of a different kind are on the forefront of the minds of many fire officials.
No one knows how the rest of the 2024 Wildfire Season will unfold.
The Airport FIre, which has scorched more than 23,000 acres in Trabuco Canyon and the Cleveland National Forest, destroyed or damaged nearly 200 structures after being accidentally ignited by Public Works crews. It was 97% contained as of Oct. 4.
As of Sept. 30, California wildfire season had seen more than 6,500 wildfires, claiming more than 1 million acres and destroying or damaging more than 1,400 structures statewide, according to the California Department of Forestry. The number of wildfires and the number of acres burned remain higher than the five-year average.
Fire departments across the Southland encourage people and organizations to continually come together to take actions to raise awareness and reduce wildfire risks. Activities such as clearing brush on and around property and home hardening can save not only homes but lives.
Embers, those of the combustible kind remain the greatest danger to structures during wildfires.
Firefighter Paramedic Mike Romero with Ember, a City of Orange Fire therapy dog. Behind them are, from left, Firefighter Paramedic Engineer Joshua Mygatt, Firefighter Paramedic Firefighter Terin Marlatt, Firefighter Isaiah Escoto and Fire Capt. Kent Rundle.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
Ember on the job
As she makes the rounds, bringing the love to visitors and firefighters, Ember is fulfilling a much greater mission.
“She just brings a lightness,” Romero said. “She’s just so happy to be with us.”
Firefighter Isaiah Lescoto, who is a dog owner, said while the firefighters are at the station for their two-day shifts, Ember is “like a little piece of home.”
“Over the last five years, peer support has gained a lot of attention,” Firefighter Paramedic Terin Marlatt said, noting that dogs fit in with that. “Our shift is lucky to have her.”
“It’s awesome that the fire service is paying attention to stress,” said Orange Captain Kenny Rundle. “I consider Ember another tool to deal with stress.”
Later the captain added, “I think the perfect scenario would be to have one in every station.”
The station crew chips in with Ember’s care with play time, walks, and other stimulation. And when she’s worn out, Ember simply heads back to her kennel for alone time.
“She’s a professional napper,” Romero says.
City of Orange Fire therapy dog Ember in her safe place, a dog crate at Fire Station 4.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
Going to the dogs
Ember, the canine kind, is an exemplar of peer support therapy dogs and their value to first responders.
Engravings depicting dogs aiding human hunters date back 8,000 years, and DNA studies show dogs changed genetically long before that to separate from wolves to become “man’s best friend.”
In recent years, the use of service dogs has exploded for everything from detecting seizures to providing emotional support for travels.
“It’s honestly therapeutic,” said Marlatt.
That’s no small thing. In recent years, as data have shown, first responders show increased instances of stress, depression, alcoholism, and other adverse health conditions.
Even more significant, there is an “elevated risk for suicide because of the environments in which they work, their culture, and stress, both occupational and personal,” according to the Centers for Disease Control citing national studies.
Those studies found that among first responders, firefighters rank second behind law enforcement in the percentage of suicide deaths. It is the leading cause of line-of-service deaths and, at that, believed to be vastly underreported.
A tradition of service
Dogs in firehouses date back to the 1870s when the New York Fire Department began deploying Dalmations, who would run ahead of horse-drawn carriages, making them the unofficial mascot of firehouses everywhere.
As fire carriages transitioned to engines, the prevalence of fire dogs waned. However, they are coming back in a big way, not only for therapy, but in arson, tracking, and search and rescue.
It could even be said the therapy dog trend is blazing.
The Orange County Fire Authority has had a number of service dogs in various capacities over the years.
In Denver, the city’s West Metro Fire district began using therapy dogs five years ago and has a dozen trained and certified dogs, the largest program in the state. The Los Angeles Fire Department also launched a Canine Therapy Program four years ago.
Ember didn’t just randomly arrive at Station 4 as a bundle of cuddly cuteness.
When Romero first became a firefighter a decade ago he says his captain had a Yorkie that came into work with him.
Seeing the positive benefits the dog had, Romero said, “It just implanted on me this was something I wanted to do.”
Firefighter Paramedic Mike Micheal Romero with Ember, a City of Orange Fire therapy dog at Fire Station 4.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
The ember grows
Several years ago, Romero, whose dream had always been to have a Golden Retriever, began seriously researching the idea and going through all the policies, procedures, and discussions with bosses and city officials to bring a Facility Dog into the Orange Fire family.
When Ember arrived, as part of a litter of 11 puppies, Romero said the breeder tested the litter and Ember had the best temperament for the work. In addition, her mother was a “scent work” champion and her father was a hunting dog, giving her good genes for firework.
Romero came up with the puppy’s name one day while flipping through a glossary of fire terms and realized the name fit Ember’s amber coat.
When Romero is not working, Ember lives at home with the Romero family and fulfills the role of family dog.
Romero began training Ember at 10 weeks of age and continues working with her at least once a week off duty with Next Step Service Dogs in San Diego, which specializes in training companion dogs for veterans and first responders. She has earned certifications as an A.K.C. STAR Puppy and Canine Good Citizen, as well as a Pet Partners Therapy Dog recognition. She was recently certified by Assistance Dog International, the gold standard in service dog training.
“We’ve kind of taken the long, scenic route to her training,” Romero said.
Ember was officially sworn in as a member of the City of Orange Disaster Service Workers in November, complete with a paw print for an autograph.
She has also become a bit of a media darling. Her Instagram page @ember.thefiredog has about 1,400 followers. She also accompanies Romero to various community events, where she steals the show, particularly with children.
For all her friendliness and love spreading, Romero says that Ember senses the difference from work and play.
“When we go to work, her demeanor changes,” he said.
She’s not just unbearably adorable, she’s hard at work spreading the love to one and all.
Ember, a City of Orange Fire therapy dog, resting from her hard work spreadiing the love at Fire Station 4.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
