Search Teams

Our Search Teams

Baja California Task Force 3 (BC-TF3)

California Regional Task Force 7 (CA-RTF7) Ventura County

California Task Force 1 (CA-TF1) Los Angeles City

California Task Force 2 (CA-TF2) Los Angeles County

California Task Force 3 (CA-TF3) Bay Area

California Task Force 4 (CA-TF4) Oakland

California Task Force 5 (CA-TF5) Orange County

California Task Force 7 (CA-TF7) Sacramento

California Task Force 8 (CA-TF8) San Diego

Nebraska Task Force 1 (NE-TF1)

New York Task Force 2 (NY-TF2)

Oklahoma Task Force 1 (OK-TF1)

Utah Task Force 1 (UT-TF1)

Virginia Task Force 1 (VA-TF1)

Virginia Task Force 2 (VA-TF2)

Nate & Carey Jenkins

Nate & Carey Jenkins

Team Info

 

Task Force: Nebraska Task Force 1 (NE-TF1)
Agency: Lincoln Fire-Rescue
Level: Certified

 

 

Search Dog Info

 

Breed: Labrador Retriever
Sex: Male
Born: February 26, 2019
Recruited from: Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA
Sponsor: Kathleen and Stephen Davis

 

 

Nate was found living with an unhoused person when, for unknown reasons, Nate was confiscated and taken to the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA. Due to a pending court hearing involving his previous owner, the shelter staff was not allowed to interact much with Nate. As soon as they were allowed to play with him, shelter staff noticed Nate’s high toy drive and affinity for the Jolly Ball. The Director of Behavior at the Humane Society contacted SDF Canine Training Manager Mandy Tisdale, who used to work with their staff on canine training, to inform her that Nate may be a search dog candidate. They were right – Nate passed the evaluation and soon went to our campus to start search dog training.

 

Nate distinguished himself in other ways, too. He looks stunning with amber-colored eyes, a sleek black coat, and rippling muscles. With his muscle definition, Nate looks like a bodybuilder, and his strength backs it up. He is a star in our fitness program and set a record for the longest plank in his class!

 

This sweet boy has brains as well as brawn and has stood out as a star student. Happiest when he’s learning, his search skills quickly gained momentum, culminating in a powerful, confident bark alert. Nate learned to apply his nimbleness to search work, too. He loves agility and easily climbs up and down a six-foot ladder!

 

While working with him during SDF’s Handler Training Course, Nate selected his human partner, Carey Jenkins of Lincoln-Fire Rescue, Task Force 1. Carey started his career as a high-voltage electrician working in copper mines in the southwest and then moved to Oregon, where he started a construction company and volunteered as a firefighter. When the housing market crashed in 2007, Carey began contracting for the military and did five tours in Iraq and Afghanistan in varying capacities, from HAZMAT to paramedic for the Department of State. Whenever he was stateside, he’d volunteer full-time at the fire department and continue his education. Eventually, he applied and tested for Lincoln Fire & Rescue and has been with the department since 2015.

 

In 2016, Carey met one of the canine search teams in his department, Damon Wirth & George, and became enthralled with the idea of becoming a handler himself. At that time, he needed to focus on making it through the paramedic precepting and probation process before embarking on any new skills, so it would be a few years before the timing was right and the position of Canine Search Specialist opened on his task force.

When Carey first met Nate, he had no idea they would eventually be matched. Carey says, “Nate was the first dog I worked with at SDF on day one. I couldn’t get him to drop his toy, and he seemed more interested in running away from me. My first impression was, ‘Well, he doesn’t like me. Hopefully, I’ll have better luck with the next one.'”

By the time the training was over, and they were playing in the agility yard, Carey couldn’t get Nate to leave his side. That’s when he hoped they’d be partners.

 

Nate and Carey were officially paired on July 2, 2022, and Nate went home with Carey to Nebraska. After a lot of hard work with their Nebraska Task Force 1 teammates, Nate and Carey achieved FEMA certification in Tampa, FL, in February of 2024.

 

The team’s first deployment came on September 24, 2024, when they were deployed to the East Coast in anticipation of Hurricane Helene, ready to help communities in need in the wake of the storm.