Tributes have been paid to a search and rescue dog which died after an eight year career with Essex Fire and Rescue Service.
Kirby’s role as a search dog saw him involved in a range of incidents which included him being airlifted in helicopters and abseiled down buildings as he supported the police, ambulance service and the military.
He was called into action following a gas explosion in Wellesley Road, Clacton, just three days after finishing his specialist training in April 2012.
Less than a minute after beginning his search, the English springer spaniel helped Clacton fire crews to find a man who had been trapped for several hours.
An 80-year-old woman, Andree Maffey, who lived in the ground floor flat of the house, was seriously injured in the explosion and sadly died later in hospital.
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said the incident set the tone for what was a “truly remarkable tenure” as its search and rescue dog.
Kirby, who was 12 and who officially retired early last year, was put to sleep on September 11 following a battle with cancer.
Station manager Scott Meekings, from the Urban Search and Rescue team, said: “Kirby was a key player nationally in the canine world for Urban Search and Rescue and will be greatly missed, both locally and nationally.
“The modern format of USAR was borne out of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, so September 11 was a fitting date for Kirby to pass away on.”
Other incidents Kirby attended included the collapse of Didcot Power Station in Oxfordshire in 2016.
Kirby also featured at hundreds of open days across Essex alongside handler Graham Currie, meeting thousands of residents and helping to share safety messages.
He also helped to raise cash for charities including more than £10,000 for Stanley’s Heroes, a charity launched in aid of Clacton firefighter Rob Newman’s son Stanley who has a congenital muscular dystrophy.
Kirby also featured on TV on several occasions, including on the BBC’s Mega Cities documentary with Andrew Marr and in 2017 on ITV’s Inside London Fire Brigade.
Kirby was given the Outstanding Award for Community Safety at the brigade’s Celebrating our People Awards.
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