Welcome, listeners! In this episode, you’ll hear from Fire Chief Steve Swaney of Heartland Fire and Rescue in El Cajon, CA. (He’s the chief of the station where Yara the Firehouse Dog from Episode 20 lives!) Chief Swaney was a USAR K9 handler and deployed with FEMA for years, and today he shares with us what it’s like to work on a FEMA task force, and specifically, what his experience was like working his dog Sherman at Ground Zero in the aftermath of 9/11.

On this podcast, we seek to highlight the work being done by working dogs of all disciplines. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing to it, rating it, leaving a positive review, and sharing with people you know who are interested in this topic. This show exists in support of its sister photography project on the same topic and of the same name. You can learn more about that by visiting www.herobeside.me.

We are currently trying to determine the future of this podcast and would love your feedback. Please take a moment to fill out this survey, and be sure to leave your email address so we can keep you updated! You can also reach out anytime at hello@herobeside.me or on Instagram @herobesideme. Thanks for listening! Be sure to give the furry hero beside you some extra love today.