#692 Dominion of the Dalmatian

 Fun Fact #692

Dominion of the Dalmatian

While Dalmatians really found their stride in Europe’s war effort, that was not the only thing the famous Dog breed was used for. You see, while Humanity’s hatred of (uncontrolled) fires was sparked almost all the way back to the dawn of time, it wasn't till the Napoleonic Wars when firefighters moved away from “Mercenary Birgades” (Birgades paid by insurance companies to put out fires…leading to rampant arson) and to an actual dedicated Public service with Napoleon Bonaparte’s 1810 Commandment of Engineers (Sapuers-Pompiers). As part of this they were equipped with horse drawn Water Wagons. Yet they quickly encountered an issue, that although they could respond faster to fires, they were often slowed down by people going about their business in the road.

Not wanting to run anyone over, these former French troops turned to the answer which had accompanied them in war earlier that same year: The Dalmation. That same speed which allowed it to keep up with horses also allowed it to run ahead and “Negotiate” use of the road (they herded, barked, and even bit people and animals to clear the road). Additionally since the horses were familiar with the dog, the Dog’s presence helped calm them despite the panic, fire and noise. Over time their training was refined with the Dalmatians standing guard around the wagons on site, effectively keeping bystanders out of the way of the firefighting effort. The best trained of these dogs were even used to check people exiting a fire; the Dogs could often tell if a person had hidden injuries (even internal) and could draw attention to the person if needed. 

Yet as technology and methods advanced, Dalmatians were left behind, with their use in Firestations being almost completely phased out in the US during the first few months of the Great depression. Yet these dogs did more than anyone realized and with the increased hours, calls, and hardships of the period, many firecrews began experiencing what we now know as depression. The solution? What else but to bring the Dalmations back, and their role in the decompression of Firefighters between calls, as well as serving as the Mascots of Stations continue into the modern day. So while Dalmatians have a spotted past its cool to see they still have a place in the world today.