State Fire Commission welcomes a 4-legged friend
Service dog Ajax will aid fire victims, teach kids
The First State’s newest member of the Delaware State Fire Commission is Ajax, a 2-year-old golden retriever-Labrador mix.
The Delaware State Fire Commission oversees the operations of the Office of the State Fire Marshal and Delaware State Fire School, along with protecting the people and places within Delaware and overseeing the training and certification of all EMTs and firefighters.
To aid its mission, the Delaware State Fire Commission welcomed service dog Ajax in February, from Canine Companions for Independence, to help comfort victims involved in fire incidents, teach students about fire safety and assist in lowering tension and stress among first responders who experience traumatic events in their line of work, the fire commission said.
About Canine Companions
Canine Companions, the largest nonprofit provider of service dogs in the United States and has paired more than 7,100 service pups from its in-house breeding and training program with people in need since the organization was founded in 1975.
The mission of Canine Companions is to enhance people’s lives and foster their independence by pairing them with specialized working dogs who allow them to live on their own terms with confidence, according to the organization.
The jobs of a dog vary depending on the needs of its owner, but pups are taught more than 40 commands like how to pick up items, turn lights on and off, help with alarms, pull wheelchairs, open doors, interrupt nightmares and soothe anxiety.
Puppies can help in a variety of ways, from assisting physical therapy needs for children or in health care settings, and, like Ajax, some puppies can be placed with organizations as a facility dog to assist a wide range of individuals and needs.
Welcome to the team, Ajax!
Ajax was raised by Peggy and Tom Peeler for Canine Companions and later paired with Frank Fioravaniti, an investigator with the Delaware State Fire Commission, during a two-week training program.
Fioravaniti previously worked for the Dover Police Department as a sergeant in the K-9 unit and met Canine Companions facility dog Roy and his partner officer Lee Killen. When Fioravaniti retired from the Dover Police Department and joined the Delaware State Fire Commission, he thought a facility dog could be used in his new job the same way Roy was used at the police department, said Canine Companions.
As his handler, Fioravaniti will be joined by Ajax as he assists first responders throughout Delaware.
Interested in a visit from Ajax and Fioravaniti? Call the Delaware State Fire Commission at (302) 739-3160 or email fire.commission@delaware.gov.
To learn more about Canine Companions, visit www.canine.org or call 1800-572-BARK.
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