Welcome Home, TFR's K-9 Search Team

  September 11^th, 2001 the Nation and the World watched the events unfold in New York City.  Two Tampa Firefighters, Roger Picard and Mark Bogush prepared to respond and assist those who might be trapped in the rubble of the World Trade Center buildings.

  For over four years Mark and his black lab Marley and Roger with his yellow lab Jessie have been preparing for just such an event.  These two canine teams have recently earned the title as being Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, Search and Rescue Canine Teams.  There are only 100 such canine teams in the Country and only 5 in Florida.

  Working together, the dog with its keen sense of smell and its handler, search around the rubble of collapsed buildings hoping to identify where a live person might be trapped.  After the canine indicates an area where a person might be trapped other members of the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team move in to remove the debris and free the trapped person.

  Mark and Roger went to New York City with their assigned FEMA-USAR Team, Florida Task Force 2.  The Task Force was divided into two teams, each working 12 hour shifts.  For seven days they combed the remains, going into dangerous areas, trying to locate survivors.  Although the Task Force did not find anyone alive, they do not feel as if their efforts were in vain.  Mark Bogush expressed their feelings in the following statement, “Even though we did not find any survivors, those we did find were respectfully removed and returned to their families.  In some small way maybe we helped bring closure to more than a dozen families who could then say good-bye to their loved one.”

  On Friday, September 28^th, Roger and Mark returned to Tampa and a “Hero’s Welcome”.  Amongst friend family and co-workers, Mayor Dick Greco presented the two Tampa Firefighters and their dogs the “Key to the City”.