Rescue Dogs Join Regional Urban Search Force in Southwestern Pennsylvania

For the first time, rescue dogs trained to locate survivors trapped in rubble are joining an urban search and rescue team in southwestern Pennsylvania, expanding life-saving capacity across Westmoreland County and neighboring regions.

The Pennsylvania Urban Search and Rescue Strike Team (PA-ST1), based in Pittsburgh, is working toward its Type 3 task force accreditation after receiving a $6 million state grant last year. Sponsored by the city’s Department of Public Safety, the team supports emergency operations during structural collapses and other large-scale disasters.

“The dogs are the biggest assets in this higher accreditation process,” said Pittsburgh Assistant Fire Chief and PA-ST1 Task Force Leader Brian Kokkila. “Each minute can be a matter of life and death in these situations.”

Four-Pawed Life Savers in Training

During a recent training session at PA-ST1’s Carnegie facility, members met their newest recruits: Prada, a 3-month-old black Labrador retriever from Maine, and Bailey, a 3-year-old German shepherd. Both are being trained as “live find” dogs—specially equipped to detect the scent of people still alive beneath debris.

Prada’s handler, Bill Cummings, has spent years preparing for this moment. “Our region has plenty of wilderness and large-area search dogs, but not many disaster search dogs,” he explained. “Prada is learning to locate victims and alert by barking for 30 seconds straight—we’re still refining that skill.”

Bailey’s handler, firefighter Greg Wehner Jr., joined PA-ST1 in 2024 and has been integrating his own dogs into emergency training for years. “Right now, we’re focused on obedience and agility before moving into the fundamental test for live-find certification,” he said.

Another Labrador from the same Maine breeder will soon join the team, helping bring PA-ST1 closer to the Type 3 accreditation standard.

Building Toward a Higher Standard

Formed after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, PA-ST1 operates under the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and covers 14 counties across the region, including Westmoreland, Allegheny, Fayette, and Indiana. The team of about 100 active members has responded to nearly 20 major incidents, including the 2022 Squirrel Hill bridge collapse and the 2025 Clairton Coke Works explosion.

To secure its new designation, PA-ST1 must meet FEMA’s Type 3 Urban Search and Rescue standards by May 2027. The $6 million in state funding—designated for equipment, training, and storage—will help meet those requirements once released by PEMA.

“Significant progress has been made to move the grant forward,” Kokkila said, noting delays related to updated funding guidance. PEMA Director Randy Padfield confirmed the agency is awaiting final paperwork from the City of Pittsburgh before disbursing funds.

A Regional Effort to Save Lives

State Sen. Devlin Robinson (R–Allegheny), who advocated for the funding, said he’s tracking the issue closely. “Time is of the essence,” he said. “We need this equipment and training in the field so victims of disasters have the best possible chance of survival.”

PA-ST1 hopes to expand to 150 members with full accreditation, strengthening southwestern Pennsylvania’s capacity to respond when catastrophe strikes. With their growing canine corps leading the way, the team is preparing to move faster—and dig deeper—when every second counts.