'Ace' new recruit joins Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service

Ace and Mike Dewar

An ace new recruit has recently joined the team at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS).

Earlier this year fire dog Ace joined the Service - and he is also part of the national resilience register to help with search and rescue operations if needed.

Yellow Labrador, Ace, graduated with flying colours and is now ready to hunt for survivors when disaster strikes.

Crew Manager Mike Dewar, who is GMFRS' dog handler and part of the Fire Investigation Team, introduced three-year-old Ace to the Service in September 2011.

Mike said: "Ace took to his early training really well and demonstrated all the characteristics that are required of a good search dog - he is very fit and agile with a search drive that allows him to be totally focused on his work.

"It has taken 18 months to train him to the appropriate standard, which involves many facets of search and rescue during which a high degree of trust has been built up between us.

"Ace learned in the early days by watching older search and rescue dog Echo work the rubble sites and started off doing very basic work, but due to his drive he was soon undertaking the same searches as more experienced dogs."

The assessment that all Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) dogs must undertake to gain competency are done at one of three locations in the UK - The Fire Service College, MFRS, and Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service's USAR training facility.

Mike continued: "The robust assessment is designed to simulate a real USAR incident with all the distractions that would be found such as food, people and noise, and always starts with a comprehensive brief by the handler to the assessment team.

"It's vital that the dog being assessed has the ability to work in dangerous and challenging environments."

Chairman of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority (GMFRA) David Acton said: "To take a normal family pet and train it to be a highly trained search dog, which is now a national asset for resilience, takes a lot of hard work and dedication by the handler and the dog."

Nine-year-old Echo will be Ace's right-paw dog until he is retired later this year.