In this episode, Lisa Garrett sits down with Becky Switzer, co-founder of Ground Zero Emergency Training Center, for a powerful conversation about dogs, disaster response, and the humans who answer the call when everything falls apart.
Becky shares how the Oklahoma City bombing and devastating tornadoes in Moore, Oklahoma, planted the seed for Ground Zero’s mission. What started as a vision became a nonprofit dedicated to training elite search and rescue canine teams that can respond when lives are on the line.
This conversation brings listeners inside the world of search dogs and first responders, from the intense training and handler bonds to the emotional weight of recovery work. Becky also explains why there is such a critical shortage of trained dogs, why the work is so expensive, and why the need will only continue to grow.
In this episode, Lisa explores:
- How Ground Zero was born from tragedy and urgency
- What makes a search and rescue dog truly elite
- Why the bond between handler and dog matters so much
- The emotional reality first responders carry
- How people can support Ground Zero’s mission
