By: Sofia Galvan
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) – The Fayetteville Fire Department has four Dalmatians, and during Fire Prevention Month, they have a very important job.
The Fayetteville Fire Department and its Dalmatians visit almost every school in Fayetteville each October to teach kids the importance of fire safety in a memorable way. The impact of these visits is seen by handlers like Marty Striefler and elementary teachers like Kate Davis. Striefler says the dogs provide comfort after a tough call, and Davis says the kids remember the dogs months after the visits.
The Department currently has four Dalmatians. Their names are Higbee, Phil, Rigs, and the newest member, Ash. The very first Dalmatian adopted was Ember. Someone was looking to rehome her, and that’s how the program began in 2019. She retired in December of 2024, but Higbee stepped right in to take her spot.
A visit to an elementary school during Fire Prevention Month consists of a Dalmatian, an inflatable house, and a couple of fire safety demonstrations. The dogs teach students how to stop, drop, and roll, crawl below smoke, feel a hot door, and know exit routes. These demonstrations are conducted in an inflatable house that simulates different rooms and fire hazards.
For these visits, the Firefighters put their gear on to give kids the full experience as they stop on the school’s grounds with the Dalmatian. The kids receive their own firefighter hats and badges. Striefler said it brings him joy seeing people’s reactions to the dogs.
“I’m walking down the street, and you’ll see somebody driving by, and the reaction when they realize, ‘Wait, that’s a firefighter. That’s a dalmatian,’” Striefler said. This is still a thing. I think those moments bring me so much joy.”
Root Elementary School teacher Kate Davis said she started working at Root two years ago and has had the dogs visit each of those years. To prepare parents for these educational visits, she sends a newsletter home with the kids ahead of time. It became a tradition for Davis and her class to take a selfie with the firefighter hats on every year. Davis said the kids still talk about the Dalmatian when they see a firetruck.
“It was just very, very sweet for them,” Davis said. I just got to see a different side of my students, even, and just their joy, and their happiness, and just their love for learning in a hands-on and very real way.”
The Dalmatians don’t just impact the community. They mean something to the firefighters as well. A deputy chief at the department still remembers the time children survived a house fire because they remembered what the dog taught them. Striefler said it’s nice coming home to the dogs after a rough call.
“There is something really soothing or just therapeutic about having a dog around,” Striefler said. “You run a rough call. It’s been a long shift.”
Currently, the new Dalmatian, Ash, is still in training to join the rest of the active crew. These educational visits happen every October during Fire Prevention month, but visits are also done by request throughout the year at community events. Striefler said if their doors are open or there’s a truck in the bay, stop by and have a Dalmatian greet you.