CAMBRIDGE, Ohio — The Cambridge Fire Department has a new, four-footed member after adopting a dog from the Guernsey County Animal Shelter.

Fire Chief Jeff Deeks said the dog, named Halli after a forcible entry tool used by firefighters known as a Halligan bar, has a new home for Christmas, and she will officially become part of the department this December.

“She’s actually getting ‘sworn in’ Dec. 12 for the fire department,” Deeks said, adding that a new firefighter will also be sworn in and other activities promoting the fire department are set at city hall.

He said he hesitated to bring a pet into the fire station and checked on potential liability issues. The dog joined the firefighter family about three weeks ago.

“I wish I would have done it sooner now,” Deeks said.

This marks the first time the department has had a station dog since it was organized in 1873.

Deeks said the department worked with county Dog Warden Karla Kerns, who kept an eye out for dogs with a personality that might fit the department’s atmosphere.

“She found the dog that we have now. It was actually living in a culvert. We’re assuming she was just dropped off and left,” Deeks said. “They contacted me and sent pictures, and we discussed it within the department.”

The dog is a German shepherd mix estimated to be about 7 months old.

Deeks said Halli is fitting in well.

“She’s really changed the atmosphere around the department and even within the community. The residents hear about it on social media, and we invited people to come up so we can introduce Halli to them,” he said. “She’s been wonderful for us.”

He added that a dog with a friendly personality is needed for their environment.

“We get kids on tours and citizens stopping by. You want to make sure you have a good dog. She’ll hear the door open and she’ll go look down the hallway and she’ll go up to them and lay right at their feet,” Deeks said of any station visitors.

“When we get some more time with her and get more of what her personality’s going to be like around kids, we’ll introduce her more and more,” he said. “The guys that work here, their kids come up.”

Deeks said Halli is not a therapy dog, but he is exploring the possibility of getting her trained for that purpose in the future.

“Animals can help with stressful environments. When you come back from a bad call just to see her,” he said. “There’s been times when I’ve been having my days and she comes right inside my office, sits down by my chair and puts her head in my lap.”

He said the psychological benefits of having a dog motivated department members to look into having a dog.

“The mental aspect of being a firefighter and some of the stuff that all firefighters see in their career or volunteering, sometimes it gets to you, and having a dog … getting back from those bad calls and having a dog or a pet, I think it does help with the mental aspect of things. … We cover Interstate 70 and 77 and several state routes and we have a lot of traffic come through Cambridge and those routes. We get some pretty horrific accidents sometimes. … Even though she’s not trained to be a therapy dog, I think it does help the staff deal with the mental issues.”

Deeks said Halli also got an introduction to the public when riding with him during the recent city Christmas parade.

Kerns, who also serves as a corporal with the Guernsey County Sheriff’s Office, said this was also a good opportunity to promote the animal shelter.

“I knew that the fire department was in the search for a dog that matched with them to be able to stay at the station with them,” she said, adding that she saw Halli as a potential match for the fire department. “We just knew she was the right fit for them.”

Kerns said there are many animals at the shelter hoping for new homes.

“We’re probably down in adoptions from what we normally have been, but the time of year sometimes puts us like that,” she said.

Kerns added that she is advocating for a new dog shelter, noting the current one was purchased in 1950 and had been a lumber yard prior to being repurposed. She said maintenance demands have overtaken the ability to meet them. There are 14 kennels in the main shelter and houses 25-30 dogs at any given day. More information can be found at the Guernsey County Dog Shelter’s Facebook page or on Youtube.