Alliance for Emergency Response Instructors & Examiners

06/18/2026

There is always a challenge between having enough regulation to protect citizen "victims" and maintaining a supply of qualified responders. Throughout our decades of working with volunteer SAR responders, we are assured of their good intentions and their desire be come professional in their field.

With maintaining the balance of minimal government regulation, but creating a professional class of responders, we encourage our SAR colleagues to work with their State legislators to enact appropriate legislation. Of course, this will ensure that our citizens receive the SAR level of response they deserve and likely receive from Law Enforcement and Fire Service in their respective performance. This will also help protect SAR responders, their teams, and the agencies utilizing their services. A Statewide certification requirement, whether called certification or licensure, satisfies both.

Meanwhile, we encourage our responder colleagues, and those agencies responsible for SAR, look to national level organizations currently offering certifications based on scientific, best practices method standard from respected academic and and professional research groups. In the absence of legislative action, complying with these standards and testing criteria is the best way to demonstrate professional level of response and for agencies to counter any civil litigation. Checkout this article:

https://pbswisconsin.org/news-item/why-volunteers-are-central-to-search-and-rescue-efforts-in-wisconsin/

06/18/2026

Why Volunteers Are Central To Search And Rescue Efforts In Wisconsin

There is always a challenge between having enough regulation to protect citizen "victims" and maintaining a supply of qualified responders. Throughout our decades of working with volunteer SAR responders, we are assured of their good intentions and their desire be come professional in their field. With maintaining the balance of minimal government regulation, but creating a professional class of responders, we encourage our SAR colleagues to work with their State legislators to enact appropriate legislation. ...

There is always a challenge between having enough regulation to protect citizen “victims” and maintaining a supply of qualified responders. Throughout our decades of working with volu…

06/12/2026

There has indeed been increasing (court) pressure to ensure that all Law Enforcement utilized K-9s and handlers are certified by nationally credible agencies/organizations. This includes any “volunteer” K-9 teams responding to Law Enforcement requests. The departmental liability is becoming an increasingly important issue.
We strongly encourage our LE partners to seek out credible resources to train, certify, and support both departmental and externally procured K-9 resources. Why would you risk having cases removed or incur civil actions by utilizing uncredentialed K-9s?

05/13/2026

If you’re not a First Responder, you likely don’t see or understand the extreme stress these heroes operate in, every day. So, especially this month, take the time to thank these folks whenever and wherever you may encounter one. Most of them chose this life to serve you!

05/08/2026

As we turn the corner into Summer, it's time to finalize those requests for approval to attend this Conference. Bigger and better than ever! More training opportunities. And for those with at least 3 years operational experience as an AERIE Certified CIRT K9 team, you can challenge the new Advanced Level Certification!! Come join us in learning with all your (new and established) CIRT K9 colleagues!

Attention Public Safety Agencies

We've unfortunately seen more private organizations coming up with their personal standards for therapy dogs that work in the public safety realm.
For over 6 years, no other organization meets or exceeds the complete industry standards for this public safety CIRT K9 arena that K9's For Freedom & Independence does to date.
With 20+ years of K9 experience in the public safety career field, I have seen organizations come and go.
We in fact wrote the industry standards for this specialty years ago and to date are the only ones that meet and exceed those same standards for this specialty.
We actually present to those that are running agencies on how these dogs must meet the industry standards set by case law to prevent and/or limit their liability as an agency and municipality.
By using the required third party yearly public safety certification, CJIS, FLSA, Case Law, K9 Training, Classroom Training brings these teams to the professional standard where they should be.

Know your liability before you get the "Free" or "friendly" looking dog for your agency!

For more information:

[email protected] www.k9sforfreedom.org

05/08/2026

Congrats to Officer Couch and Canine Max! Newly AERIE Certified CIRT K9 team for Abilene TX Police Department. Way to go team! After your hard work and dedication, you deserve this!!

Well it finally happened!
We paired CIRT K9 Max with Ofcr Shannon Couch at Abilene PD, TX

Welcome to the Family!

02/13/2026

2026 MIDWESTERN CIRT K9 DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE!!

Many of our Public Safety colleagues have been asking about our 2026 CIRT K9 Conferences. Here's confirmation of the Midwestern Seminar. This year we'll be in Bartlesville, Oklahoma from 28 September through 02 October! As always, we'll be conducting new (and exciting!) training sessions, in environments that are sure to challenge your skills! And, of course, we will be conducting the AERIE CIRT K9 Certification Exam for those needing initial or re-certification. ...

Many of our Public Safety colleagues have been asking about our 2026 CIRT K9 Conferences. Here’s confirmation of the Midwestern Seminar. This year we’ll be in Bartlesville, Oklahoma f…

01/20/2026

A New Year, A New Beginning, Upon Us

A New Year! How will you take advantage of that? Are you already in a 1st Responder role in your community? Maybe time to add a qualification? Or maybe it's time to branch out into a different discipline. No resolutions here. Just a suggestion to reflect on where we've been. Are we the best we can be? A true professional never stops learning. ...

A New Year! How will you take advantage of that? Are you already in a 1st Responder role in your community? Maybe time to add a qualification? Or maybe it’s time to branch out into a diff…

12/22/2025

FBI crisis dog who comforted Uvalde families retires

FBI crisis dog who comforted Uvalde families retires after a decade of service. Crisis Response Canine (the FBI's version of the AERIE CIRT, Critical Incident Response Team K9), Gio is retiring. Gio joined the Bureau in 2015 and responded to 140 incidents in his 10 years of duty. The link takes you to the article: Crisis Response Canine Gio Retires From the FBI

FBI crisis dog who comforted Uvalde families retires after a decade of service. Crisis Response Canine (the FBI’s version of the AERIE CIRT, Critical Incident Response Team K9), Gio is retiri…

12/14/2025

It is an honor to work besides the men and women of the CBP, who provide peer support for their colleagues. They represent some of the finest in all Law Enforcement!

House Passes Gonzales’ Bipartisan PEARL Act to Expand Support Canine Program for CBP

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. House of Representatives has passed Congressman Tony Gonzales’ bipartisan PEARL Act, a measure designed to strengthen mental-health support for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel by expanding the agency’s support canine program.

The legislation authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to establish a pilot program allowing dogs from local animal shelters to be adopted and trained as emotional-support canines for CBP agents and officers. The bill is named after “Pearl,” a retired support canine who played a key role in assisting Border Patrol personnel through traumatic and high-stress incidents.

“The PEARL Act is named after a special, newly retired support canine that helped our Border Patrol Agents get through some very tough times,” Congressman Gonzales said. “This bill will give our law enforcement one more tool to improve mental-health outcomes at CBP. I am grateful to see this legislation pass in the U.S. House of Representatives, and I look forward to getting this bill signed into law.”

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino praised the bill’s passage, noting the increased strain placed on CBP due to rising violence against federal officers and continued border challenges.

“It is vital for our Border Patrol agents and CBP officers to have access to the mental-health resources they need and deserve,” Garbarino said. “I applaud the House’s passage of the PEARL Act and urge my colleagues in the Senate to do the same.”

CBP launched its Support Canine Program in early 2023 in response to a sharp rise in stress-related incidents among agents. The PEARL Act aims to bolster that effort by enabling CBP to partner with local shelters, giving rescue dogs a new purpose while providing frontline personnel with critical emotional-support resources.

The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.
———
La Cámara de Representantes aprueba la Ley PEARL bipartidista de Gonzales para ampliar el programa de perros de apoyo para la CBP

WASHINGTON, D.C. — La Cámara de Representantes de Estados Unidos aprobó la Ley PEARL bipartidista del congresista Tony Gonzales, una medida diseñada para fortalecer el apoyo psicológico del personal de la Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza (CBP) mediante la ampliación del programa de perros de apoyo de la agencia.

La legislación autoriza al Departamento de Seguridad Nacional a establecer un programa piloto que permita la adopción y el entrenamiento de perros de refugios locales como perros de apoyo emocional para los agentes y oficiales de la CBP. El proyecto de ley lleva el nombre de "Pearl", una perra de apoyo jubilada que desempeñó un papel fundamental ayudando al personal de la Patrulla Fronteriza durante incidentes traumáticos y de alto estrés.

"La Ley PEARL lleva el nombre de una perra de apoyo muy especial, recientemente jubilada, que ayudó a nuestros agentes de la Patrulla Fronteriza a superar momentos muy difíciles", declaró el congresista Gonzales. “Este proyecto de ley proporcionará a nuestras fuerzas del orden una herramienta más para mejorar la salud mental en la CBP. Me complace ver que esta legislación se haya aprobado en la Cámara de Representantes de EE. UU. y espero que se promulgue pronto”.

El presidente del Comité de Seguridad Nacional de la Cámara de Representantes, Andrew Garbarino, elogió la aprobación del proyecto de ley y destacó la creciente presión sobre la CBP debido al aumento de la violencia contra los agentes federales y los continuos desafíos en la frontera.

“Es fundamental que nuestros agentes de la Patrulla Fronteriza y los oficiales de la CBP tengan acceso a los recursos de salud mental que necesitan y merecen”, afirmó Garbarino. “Aplaudo la aprobación de la Ley PEARL por la Cámara de Representantes e insto a mis colegas del Senado a que hagan lo mismo”.

La CBP lanzó su Programa Canino de Apoyo a principios de 2023 en respuesta a un fuerte aumento de los incidentes relacionados con el estrés entre los agentes. La Ley PEARL busca reforzar este esfuerzo al permitir que la CBP colabore con refugios locales, brindando a los perros de rescate un nuevo propósito y proporcionando al personal de primera línea recursos esenciales de apoyo emocional.

El proyecto de ley ahora pasa al Senado para su consideración.