VIDEO: A K-9 recruit is now on duty with the Sacramento Fire Department.
"Emily" won't be riding on engines out to calls, but she'll provide critical help for first responders as they return home from those emergencies. She's the fire department's first-ever support dog, specially trained through the intensive, Paws For Life K9 First Responder Program.
After going through a training regimen of his own, Sacramento Fire Deputy Chief Mike Taylor became Emily's handler in May.
"Once I met her, and I learned about the program, it was just something I had to do," Taylor said.
Emily is already hard at work, helping the people tasked with keeping our community safe.
"Every firefighter suffers things that are hard to let go," Taylor said. "Your job is to make everything calm and let the citizens know, 'We'll make it right. We're here to help.' But that comes with packaging a lot inside."