Team Info
Task Force: California Task Force 2 (CA-TF2)
Agency: Los Angeles County Fire
Level: Certified
Search Dog Info
Breed: Labrador Retriever
Sex: Female
Born: August 12, 2020
Recruited from Southern California Cat Adoption Tails
Sponsor: Meg Kasdan
Roma’s exuberant energy proved a little too much for her original owner to handle. Realizing that she’d be better off with someone who could give Roma the attention and training she required, Roma’s owner surrendered her to Southern California Cat Adoption Tails, a nonprofit rescue in Pasadena that, despite the name, rescues dogs as well as cats. SDF recruiters noticed Roma posted on the rescue’s social media and reached out to the rescue manager for more information. Coincidentally, the rescue manager had a background in working dogs and agreed that Roma’s high drive and energy indicated she would be happiest if given a job, and Roma headed to SDF to begin her training.
At the NTC, trainers had a ton of fun working with Roma. This little spitfire is busy and very motivated to run and play with her new SDF friends — it’s rare to see her sit still for more than two seconds! Trainers worked hard directing Roma’s love of hunting, barking, and playing tug into her search, and she made quick progress. Roma’s brain often moves at 100mph, but she’s very methodical and focused in search, and as her thoughtfulness increased, so did the speed of her training. Her search is intense, fast, and efficient, and when she finds the victim, she’s quick to alert and tugs with all her might! Roma is a little firecracker with the look of a Lab and the spirit of a Malinois, and her inherent talent and learned skills make her a rock-solid search dog. She graduated from search training and was paired with Derek Moree of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, California Task Force 2, on November 12, 2022.
As a child, Derek wanted to be a fighter pilot or firefighter. After getting out of the Air Force, he felt the need to find work that would be more than just a job. He wanted to do something he would feel good about and serve a higher purpose than a paycheck. After reading the book, “Smokejumper,” his desire to be a firefighter was rekindled, and he began working for the US Forest Service as a seasonal firefighter on a Hot Shot hand crew in 2003.
Derek had always loved dogs, and after getting hired by LA County Fire, he was exposed to some USAR K9 handlers. He wanted to pursue being a handler, but his wife at the time was not interested in having a working dog. After their divorce in 2020, Derek decided the time was right to submit for the position. Even though there were times in this journey when he didn’t think it would work out, being around the dogs always changed his mind. Derek says that being around and interacting with the dogs brings him joy that nothing else can.
When he first met his new canine partner, Roma, his first impression was, “WOW! This dog is a handful!” Now at home with Roma, Derek is trying to strike the right balance between meeting her needs and the needs of his human companions. In addition to training with Roma to work towards deployment readiness, Derek looks forward to a future filled with many adventures and affection.
The team worked hard and achieved FEMA certification in Sacramento, CA, on March 10, 2024. They are now eligible to deploy across the country and worldwide as members of one of two internationally deployable task forces in the U.S. We look forward to watching their careers unfold!