Boston Fire:

[MFDPhoto1]

1941. At the start and during WWII, Boston Fire extensively trained five Dalmatians in search and rescue service.  They were primarily to find lost or injured firemen, but I am sure they would have been used for civilians if needed.

photos courtesy of LIFE archives

[MFDPhoto1]

March 23, 2010:

BOSTON — NIOSH is calling for fire departments to adopt comprehensive fire apparatus maintenance and safety measures after investigators found deficiencies led to the death of a Boston firefighter.

Lt. Kevin Kelley was killed in January last year (2009) and three other firefighters were injured when the ladder truck they were riding slammed into a building after the brakes failed.

Aside from braking system deficiencies, NIOSH investigators also found flaws in the maintenance program, insufficient training and failure to wear seat belts all contributed to the incident, according to a report released Tuesday.

more here - >http://www.firerescue1.com/vehicle-safety/articles/773821-NIOSH-Fatal-Boston-fire-truck-crash-shows-need-for-air-brake-training/