New York Task Force 2 (NY-TF2) members Adam Leckonby & Luka and Greg Gould & Keila searched for victims buried in the remains of a Syracuse home after an explosion leveled it on June 18. Firefighters encountered a heavy odor of natural gas when they arrived on the scene, and investigators initially believed the natural gas supply to one of the home’s appliances may have been responsible for the explosion. Their suspicion was later confirmed when fire investigators discovered a free-flowing natural gas leak in the basement of the house.
Two families were inside when the blast ripped through the home, hospitalizing twelve family members with serious injuries, eight of them children. Both families are refugees from Burma; one visiting as part of a Catholic Charities resettlement program, according to the nonprofit’s director of donor engagement.
Handler Adam Leckonby reported that he and Search Dog Luka entered the area of highest concern first, gaining access through a second-floor bedroom window that had collapsed to ground level. The room was severely tilted, making it challenging to search. Luka finished his search and cleared the structure, and then Search Dog Keila worked the same areas to verify that it was clear of any survivors. All in all, more than 60 personnel responded to the scene, including a human remains detection dog from the New York State Police, who confirmed that, miraculously, all those inside the home when it collapsed made it out alive.
Reflecting on this deployment, Adam said,
The drive, abilities, and nose of a working canine cannot be matched by any manmade technology. While buildings may not collapse every day, we remain vigilant and stand ready to answer the call. The speed, efficiency, and thoroughness of a canine brings peace of mind, and closure to not only the families, but that of responders as well that every effort has been made to make sure everyone has been accounted for.
Our hearts go out to these two families, who have a long road ahead to recovering physically and emotionally from this tragic event. We’re grateful to the first responders whose readiness and care resulted in no lives lost and to our canine search teams for ensuring that no family member was left behind.