KNOXVILLE, Tennessee – A professor at the University of Tennessee has spent years helping rescues after catastrophic events like hurricanes, tornadoes, fires and bombings.

Beside him are his dogs.

Together, they play an important role in closing families off in search of loved ones.

“It is so rewarding to pass a test, to be certified and to be called. It is important,” said Jackie Johnson.

You can find Johnson teaching for Tickle College of Engineering at UT most days, but for a handful throughout the year, she changes gears.

Johnson is a K9 manager for FEMA’s Tennessee Urban Search and Rescue Task Force. She is on call every three months to help if the task force is deployed.

“Being part of a great team like this is very rewarding and different from academia.”

She has spent countless hours training her dogs. Some specialize in finding people still alive in the rubble and debris, which is rare. Others are trained to find human remains, which helps families affected by disasters come together.

“My job is to point out to rescuers so my dog ​​will come up and bark when he smells the scent he has learned to find.”

Together, they traveled across the country to help with the Oregon Fires, Hurricane Michael and the Putnam County Tornado.

Johnson said the local response hit home.

“The whole house was gone, there was only the floor. There were two photos on the floor… they were all killed. It really brought him home. I went home and I looked at a storm shelter. “

Less than 400 dogs are FEMA certified. A rescue she recently certified was found on the streets.

“To see this little mixed-breed dog that was kicked out of his home become a FEMA certified dog, to me, it’s amazing.”

Johnson continues to train her dogs year round, always ready to serve when called upon.

The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season has started this month, which means more favorable weather conditions and a chance for Johnson to be called out.