Our K-9 Unit is organized as a Department with the Stewart County, Tennessee Volunteer Fire Services. Dr. Rita Tinsley serves as a Captain-Founder of the Unit. She is certified as a Search and Rescue Technician III by the National Association for Search and Rescue.

    The Stewart County K-9 Unit is a volunteer nonprofit organization whose purpose is to utilize and promote the use of dogs for search and rescue. They will assist local, state, or federal agencies with searches for lost or missing persons in wilderness areas, on land or water, or in collapsed structures. The unit does not participate in criminal search or felony apprehension, but has performed evidence search and recovery functions. Police officers who are members of the Unit may participate in felony searches at their discretion.

    Handlers of the dogs are responsible for the expenses of their dogs and are not paid for their services to the community, but find training and working with the dogs and helping those in need to be rewarding in itself. There has been no official funding for the Unit and it relies on donations for support. Donations are used for equipment and emergency accessories such as pagers, radios, and training expenses.

    Since its foundation in 1993, the K-9 Unit has participates in numerous searches in Tennessee (Counties of Stewart, Houston, Montgomery, Dickson, Henry, Cheatham, Benton, Wilson, Weakly) and in Kentucky (Callaway, Trigg, Henderson, Daviess, Butler, Edmondson, Muhlenburg, Christian, Warren, Ohio Counties) in cooperation with local rescue Squads and Sheriffs, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Kentucky State Police, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, Kentucky Department of Emergency Management, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Unit also has responded to calls from the US Army at Ft. Campbell and Ft. Knox. 

    Although we are all volunteers, we have high professional standards. We train and respond in all weather conditions and seasons. Handlers are encouraged to pursue training and education courses in emergency response and NASAR certification. Each dog must develop skills in obedience, agility, and search techniques. A serious level of commitment is necessary. Two years of training or more is usually necessary before a handler and dog would be considered fully operational. Training is continuous even for experienced dogs and handlers. There are always additional equipment needs and we are always seeking private and commercial sponsors. In 2000, the K-9 Unit was recognized by the Ford Motor Company and Advanced Rescue Technology Magazine as winners in the Ford SuperCrew Competition. To perform at the level of achievement we strive for, we need a wide range of equipment from tents, tools, weather gear, flotation gear, lights, helmets to electronic needs in radios, pagers, GPS devices, and computers. Training courses are an additional expense. Our team members have included Paramedics, EMT's First Responders, and Police Officers. We are grateful to everyone who has contributed to the Unit.