The Petal Fire Department recently welcomed a new team member, but she might not be the type of firefighter you’re used to seeing – she’s brown, furry and of the four-legged variety.
Marley, a Goldendoodle, was sworn in at last week’s meeting of the Petal Board of Aldermen and will serve as an over-land search and rescue dog. Marley also is able to sniff out cadavers in the event of a search for an individual who may be deceased.
“She can be used to find people who may be lost in wooded areas and things like that,” said Mayor Hal Marx, who administered the oath of office to Marley. “Also, a lot of the time we do river rescue and river recovery.
“Once a body is trapped underwater, a lot of times it’s difficult to find, and the dog can actually smell a human body above the surface of the water even though (the body) is under the surface of the water. So that will be really helpful for us in those situations.”
Marley is owned and trained by Carlton Sims, the fire department’s battalion chief.
“I commend him for working with Marley and getting her trained, and for having the idea that we need to utilize a dog this way,” Marx said. “He purchased the dog and had the idea to train the dog, so this is actually his personal dog that he has.
“We’re glad that he’s able to utilize this for the department. I think it’ll be a big help for us.”
Although the department had previously looked into acquiring a dog to aid in arson investigation, that process fell through, making Marley the first canine to work for the department.
“I think that she’s going to be a great asset,” Ward 2 Aldermen Steve Stringer said. “If there is a drowning or if someone is missing, she is trained to find them. We’re so proud to have her with the Petal Fire Department.”
