Graduation ceremonies for most local students occur in June, but a unique group of northern Macomb students graduated Oct. 1 with certifications that will save lives.
The dogs from the Richmond Volunteer Fire Department and Lenox Township Fire Department celebrated their certification as search and rescue dogs with a graduation ceremony on Oct. 1 in Richmond. The dogs have been trained specifically to locate missing persons, such as cases of medical emergencies and lost children or senior citizens.
Fire Lt. Nicholas Yelencich is the primary handler for the Richmond Volunteer Fire Department’s dog, named Axe.
“Through our bylaws, we did add Axe as a member of the fire department. He was voted in as a member and he is still a member of the fire department through the city,” Yelencich said.
Cliff Morgan, a retired K9 officer of the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office, operates a Lenox Township business called K9 Field of Dreams in which he trains dogs. Morgan said he specializes in training dogs to work with police and fire departments, as well as service dogs for those with special needs. He said through his work as a K9 officer, he saw a need within fire departments for dogs trained specifically for search and rescue and a need for greater availability of these types of dogs.
Morgan trained the dogs from both departments together, starting in March after the two puppies had completed their puppy training with their respective department handlers. White and Yelencich said their respective communities were not charged for the training.
“He had to teach both handler and dog how to basically work together, what the commands were, how to search, those kinds of things.” Richmond Lenox EMS Chief Jeffrey White said.
The Lenox Township Fire Department acquired a chocolate Labrador retriever early this year for search and rescue purposes. The dog, named Freddie, is handled by Firefighter Dustin Krueger. Although he did not work with K9s, Krueger is a retired police officer in addition to his firefighter training.
Funding for Freddie was in the fire department’s budget, and the Lenox Township Board of Trustees also favored the idea, White said. A local business has also provided sponsorship.
Krueger has the dog live in his home, and can be called upon to use him in emergency situations. White said a request for the dog would be received via Macomb County’s COMTEC system.
“So when a call goes out with the dog, Dustin would be the person working directly with the dog as his partner on a search scene. Also more regularly Freddie also lives with Dustin and Dustin’s family, so he gets the same care and compassion someone’s personal pet gets. It helps create a bond between handler and K9,” White said.
White said a member of the Lenox Township Fire Department, Sue Bagans, privately owns a yellow Labrador retriever named Bentley. Bagans was also permitted to train Bentley, age 3, in the search and rescue program. White also said Bentley could be used as an additional resource for finding missing persons, if and when it becomes necessary.
The Richmond Volunteer Fire Department selected to acquire a search and rescue dog in early 2024 as well, after being approached by Morgan. The Richmond Volunteer Fire Department purchased the dog out of its own funding, such as donations received through the community, fundraisers and sponsorships from local businesses.
“Food is covered by Tractor Supply, food, treats, cages or anything else they need. Tractor Supply covers all that cost. Veterinary care is covered by Veterinary Care of Richmond,” Yelencich said.
The Richmond Volunteer Fire Department’s upcoming fundraiser to support Axe will be a pancake breakfast and open house on Oct. 13 at 8 a.m. The event will be held at the city of Richmond’s fire hall, located at 69465 Main St.
The department’s search and rescue dog Axe is a chocolate Labrador retriever. Freddie and Axe are brothers, obtained from the same northern Michigan breeder recommended by Morgan. He said that Labrador Retrievers make for good search and rescue dogs due to their keen sense of smell and friendly nature.
Axe lives with Yelencich and is on call with him, just as other firefighters in the department are on call. Yelencich said that requests for use of the dog would come through the city’s dispatch center, and out to the fire department like any other call.
Yelencich’s son is also on the fire department and lives in the same residence as Yelencich, so he serves as the secondary handler.
“We train anywhere from two to four times per week, and that is a combination of obedience and tracking,” Yelencich said.
Yelencich said that early on in the training process, goals are food-based. He said the dogs then work up to using an article of clothing to learn a scent. They are taught to track the scent and find the person associated with it to obtain a reward. Morgan said the dogs can also learn someone’s scent from a car interior or an object like a cell phone, and are taught tracking in many different settings.
White said the dogs will also serve as ambassadors for their respective departments and engender goodwill in the community with appearances at local events, in local medical facilities and in schools.
Nicole Tuttle is a freelance reporter for The Voice.
