Team Info
Task Force: California Task Force 7 (CA-TF7)
Agency: Sacramento City Fire
Level: DHS/FEMA Certified
Most Recent Certification: May 30, 2015
Search Dog Info
Breed: Golden Retriever
Sex: Female
Born: March 23, 2009
Donated by: Gordon Family
Recruited by: Heidi Miller
Prep Home: Marshia Hall
Pup Raiser: Tina Brennan
Guardians: Marybeth Little, Carol Sidlow
Kari is SDF’s first Search Dog from the great state of Florida. She was discovered in the apartment complex of Naomi Greenfield, friend to SDF trainer Hope Blueberry. Naomi, on daily walks with her own dog, had noticed Kari, full of life and energy in a neighbor’s yard. Naomi noticed something special in Kari and believed she had untapped potential. She spoke to Kari’s family and, with Hope’s help, learned how to evaluate Kari as a Search Dog candidate. When Naomi saw good responsiveness in Kari, the next step was getting her formally evaluated. SDF requested the assistance of established SDF Search Dog Handlers located in Florida. Once it was decided that Kari had what it takes to be a Search Dog, Canine Recruiter Heidi Miller-Mercer stepped in to get the wheels in motion and work out the logistics of getting Kari to the West Coast.
In March of 2011, after several months of coordination, Kari arrived at Sundowners Kennel in Gilroy, CA. The trainers at Sundowners enjoyed their months with Kari immensely. She was sharp and searched with great energy. Day in and day out, Kari was drilled on the exercises essential to a search and rescue dog – direction control, emergency stops and victim searches. By December of 2011, the training clearly paid off. Program Manager Kate Horwick watched Kari conduct her first ever three-victim search with remarkable speed: “She moved across two acres of land catching scent with ease, grace and speed. It was wonderful to see the smiles of the trainers who noted that she found three people hiding within five minutes. If I were buried under rubble, I would welcome Kari’s nose!”
In December of 2011, Kari was partnered with Sacramento firefighter-handler Chris Bergquist. Chris’ wife Andrea has been an advocate and evaluator of potential Search Dog candidates in the Sacramento area for a number of years. We are pleased that Kari has been a welcome and happy addition to the household with their two young sons. To listen to Chris talk about Kari, you can hear the respect and adoration that he has for his Search Dog: “Kari is one of those special dogs. She is the total package. The first thing people usually say about her is, ‘Wow, she is pretty.’ My thought is always, ‘Yeah, but she is smart, too, and boy can she search.’”
The team achieved FEMA Certification in June of 2012 in Boston, MA. Earning certification means they have reached the ultimate goal of being deployable to disasters across the U.S. Upon achieving Certification, Chris says “we will continue to work to ensure we are deployment ready. In the unfortunate event that Kari’s services are ever needed, I want her to be fully prepared for whatever challenges come her way. Literally, lives could depend on it.”
When fatal mudslides devastated communities in Oso, WA, there were many Search Dogs on scene hoping to bring survivors to safety. Though not called in to help immediately, the Sacramento task force was requested to assist with recovery efforts on April 2, 2014. Chris and Kari, up on rotation with several teammates, deployed to Washington State to help. Kari did not have the opportunity to search but she stood by, ready to lend a paw as needed.
She and Chris traveled to Lincoln, NE to undergo FEMA evaluation on May 30, 2015, three years into their career partnership, and successfully achieved the Re-Certification required to maintain their deployment-ready status.
We know that Chris and Kari will be ready whenever the call comes, wherever it may be, and we feel better knowing that when disaster strikes, this team will be there to help.