Pasco County fire inspector trains search and rescue dog to join 'Task Force Four'

LAND O' LAKES, Fla. - Pasco County Fire Rescue is now working with a search and rescue dog after a fire inspector purchased one himself.

What we know:

Fire inspector Justin Walker is so passionate about helping people, he went out and bought a search and rescue dog. The dog named Flynn comes to Florida from Waypoint K9 Solutions LLC, a dog breeder in Virginia that started the training process.

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Now Walker must complete the training, so he can pass his exams and become a certified search and rescue dog.

"It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of nights of training, a lot of weekends, my wife, I'm very thankful for her letting me do all this, but she knows it's a passion of mine and that I really enjoy this," Walker said.

Walker is part of Task Force Four, a statewide group of search and rescue teams that deploy to disasters. When Flynn is fully trained and certified, he will be one more dog to add to the life-saving teams in Florida.

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What they're saying:

And with Florida weather, having another dog can be the difference between life and death for someone.

"One extra dog to be able to find someone," Walker said. "They don't have too much time, so the more dogs are quicker than people. So quicker we get to them is better chance of them living another day."

This is not Walker's first time working with a dog. He is certified with two other dogs that are not his, and he trained under K9 handlers Dr. Jen Brown, DVM, and Tanja Langer. 

"I am on Task Force Four. If there is a deployment next week, I would be deployed with one of her dogs," Walker said.

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What's next:

When his dog passes the exams, the duo can be sent to any natural disaster in this state or country as a part of Task Force Four.

"The dog has a better nose and a better feel for it," Lee Hudson, the division chief of special operations for Pasco County Fire Rescue, said. "So having that dog, it can reduce your time and finding live victims."

For the team at Pasco County Fire Rescue, this is a big moment filled with pride for one of their own.

"Seeing his drive and what he's been doing out here to make himself a better handler and then get his own dog, it's been a big deal," Hudson said. "It's actually impressive."