ASHLAND – Lieutenant Richard Briggs of the Ashland Police Department has earned the designation of K9 Master Trainer in Search and Rescue through the International Police Work Dog Association (IPWDA) following eight years of training, mentoring and specialized instruction.
Lt. Briggs has more than a decade of experience with Massachusetts Task Force 1 (MATF-1), one of 28 FEMA Urban Search and Rescue teams nationwide, and also serves with the Massachusetts Fire District 14 Technical Rescue Team. He is the Search Team Manager for MATF-1, overseeing search operations and supervising Canine Search Specialists and Technical Search Specialists during disaster response missions.
Briggs and his K9 partner, Pharon, have participated in critical search and rescue operations, including a deployment to North Carolina following Hurricane Helene in 2024. His new designation allows him to further contribute by training and mentoring other K9 teams involved in search and rescue operations.
