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Blaze was born in Kingston, Washington.
His parents, Reba and Buttons, were members of the Gary Steele family
who, upon first seeing the new puppy, knew that he was destined for life
as a fire dog. NKF&R’s members agreed. A contest was held to name the
new mascot and, from among many entries, firefighters selected "Blaze"
as the moniker for their littlest brother.
Blaze began his fire service career
shortly after he was weaned, and was initially assigned to the
operations division, riding in his own seat on the fire engine and
responding to emergencies. But, after expressing his displeasure with
his assignment by chewing through radio equipment and seat upholstery,
Blaze was transferred to the community services division where he
assisted with fire and injury prevention efforts.
Unusually calm and friendly for his
breed, Blaze charmed citizens – young and old – with his exceptional
good-looks, his loving disposition, his patience with children and his
impressive demonstration of the "Stop, Drop and Roll" technique. He
lived in the fire station throughout his career and, between station
tours and classroom visits, provided consistent service to firefighters
by cleaning their plates and keeping their bunks warm when emergencies
called crews away from meals and rest times. He often provided quiet
comfort to both firefighters and civilians after difficult calls. Like
many public safety professionals, Blaze sacrificed to serve. Most dogs
crave the consistency of one master, but Blaze had to adapt to a life
that included a large and varied cast of human companions.
His frequent visits to local elementary
and preschools earned him a place in the hearts of every child he met.
When firefighters sponsored a party celebrating Blaze’s 10th birthday in
2004, more than 100 fans joined in the festivities. Later that year, he
was named Grand Marshal of the Kingston Fourth of July Parade.
The Dalmatian breed is thought to have
become associated with firefighters when the animals were used as
calming companions for the teams of horses that pulled fire pumpers
before the advent of internal combustion engines. Some say that these
dogs – who love to run -- were also useful at improving response times
by keeping other animals away from the horse teams as well as acting as
watchdogs to protect horses and equipment from thieves. Although many
firefighters own Dalmatians, modern "firehouse dogs" are rare. So, Blaze
caught the imagination of local and national media, appearing in a
number of newspaper and television stories. He once was the subject of a
seven-minute live interview on CNN.
A succession of injuries and illnesses
plagued Blaze as he aged but, thanks to the firefighters’ love and the
community’s generosity, he recovered from several serious situations. As
he approached retirement in his 13th year, he was struck by an illness
that couldn’t be overcome.
This gentle and dedicated firedog will
forever remain in the hearts of our entire community.
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