Mike from New York’s Engine Company 8 on 51st Street came in first place, while another Dalmatian named Smoke II of Engine Company 68 on Jay Street in Brooklyn took second. In 1910, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show developed a category specifically for Fire Department Dalmatians. The Dalmatians were heralded by the local communities they served. He’d even go as far as trotting past the entrance of Lyon’s restaurant and around back to the kitchen to eat the scraps. This pesky pooch had memorized the eating schedules of all the firefighters, and when he got hungry he’d beg for the crumbs. “Jack the Bum” was one Dalmatian that worked with Truck 9 from the station on Elizabeth Street. Sometimes they were known for their antics just like other beloved pets. Their low center of gravity made them ideal for running under the smoke into burning buildings to locate and rescue children and other people trapped in a fire. “They are in danger at fires,” The Sun writes, “for some dogs are great smoke eaters, and go right into the building with the firemen.” In some instances, they joined in on the action. The presence of the Dalmatian prevented others from potentially stealing any of the valuable firefighting equipment on the rig. Traditionally, when they arrived at the chaotic scene, the dog would keep the horses company to calm their anxiety. “They tell of one case in which the fire dog tugged at the dress of a little child that had remained standing in front of the door and of another case in which the dog barked at the heels of a gentleman who hadn’t moved away quickly enough.” “When a station call comes into an engine house the dog is out the instant the doors are thrown open, barking and prancing about, seemingly at least with the purpose of clearing the sidewalk,” a New York City newspaper called The Sun reported in March 1912. JT is named after James Trainor, an FDNY firefighter who retired after 39 years of service and died in 2018. The Wrazej family trained JT over the summer of 2020. The Dalmatian’s bark warned passersby they were responding to a fire. The leap into the fire service came with the emergence of the horse-drawn fire apparatus. They were trained to run long distances beside them and would scare off aggressive street dogs that attempted to attack. Great companions for horses, they formed strong bonds with their much larger animal friends.
#Dalmatians fire dogs drivers#
Stagecoach drivers also relied on the big dogs to guard horses and luggage. The wealthy used Dalmatians both as society dogs and as guardians against thieves for their horse-drawn carriages. The Dalmatian breed earned a reputation in Britain beginning in the 17th century for their role as coach and carriage dogs.
But the Dalmatian’s firefighting origin story is far more heroic than most people know. Today, the black-spotted pups serve strictly as mascots, station dogs, and fire safety dogs. One of the oldest traditions still honored in US fire departments is having a Dalmatian in the firehouse.
0 kommentar(er)
