In this episode, Mike and Rami sit down with Dr. Jennifer Brown of Florida Task Force 2 and the FEMA Incident Support Team (IST). Jen shares her remarkable journey from working as an equine surgeon to becoming a canine sports medicine and rehabilitation veterinarian. She offers insight into the development of her working Labrador breeding program, discussing what it takes to produce dogs capable of excelling not only in Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) but across various working and performance disciplines. We also dive into her history as a USAR handler, with an impressive record of six certified dogs since 2009, and hear about some of her most memorable deployments—both as a live-find and human-remains detection (HRD) handler. It was an honor having Jen in the studio, and we’re confident listeners will be just as inspired by her experience, dedication, and passion as we were.

We kick off our very first episode with a special guest—Ryan Cusack of Indiana Task Force 1. Ryan takes us through his journey, from an early fascination with canines, to working alongside his now-retired live find partner, Jake, and ultimately stepping into his current role as Search Team Manager for IN-TF1. In this episode, Ryan shares stories of memorable deployments, reflects on how the world of search and rescue canines has evolved over the years, and even gives us a behind-the-scenes look at his recent flight with the Air Force Thunderbirds. It was an honor to have Ryan join us in the studio, and we’re confident you’ll enjoy hearing his insights, experiences, and passion for the canine search and rescue community as much as we did.