Tim Houweling (Search Canines, Disaster Response and the Healing Power of Psychedelics) - Episode 1201

Tim Houweling works as a Fire Captain, Paramedic, and Hazmat Technician on a Type 1 Heavy Rescue for a San Francisco Bay Area Fire Department. Tim has also been a professional dog trainer since 2004. Tim is also co-founder of the S.I.R.E.N Project which helps first responders access sacred medicine served by indigenous people.

Tim began his career with search and rescue dogs in 2005 and has certified six dogs: Deuce, Tater, Georgie, Charley, Carl and Rory in various disciplines from wilderness area search to US&R live-find and human remains detection. He is the Canine Coordinator and a Canine Search Specialist with one of the 28 FEMA Urban Search & Rescue teams in the United States. In that role, he has deployed eighteen times to various US&R environments including post-fire searches, debris flows, floods, explosions, and hurricanes. He is also a member of the canine component of the Yosemite Search and Rescue team (“YODOGS”).

In addition to being a Canine Search Specialist, Tim is qualified as a Search Team Manager, Technical Search Specialist, Rescue Specialist, and Finance Specialist. He is a FEMA Evaluator and FEMA instructor. He has served on the Board of Directors of the California Rescue Dog Association, which has the most search wilderness dogs in the United States. He founded a non-profit, HD Search Dog Fund, Inc., that provides training and gear to our nation’s search and rescue dogs. He graduated with a Master’s Degree in Extension Studies/History from Harvard University with his thesis on “The Origin and Evolution of Search and Rescue Dogs in California.” He also serves on the Board of Directors of First Responder Therapy Dogs, Inc., and is on the Executive Board of his local IAFF Union.

In addition, he is passionate about improving first responder mental health. With his wife Angela, he co-founded The S.I.R.E.N. Project to help first responders access sacred medicine served by indigenous people (www.thesirenproject.org). These medicines have proven more effective than western medicines in treating post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI.)

Prior to his life going to the dogs, he worked as an investment banker on Wall Street and is a certified public accountant. He lives in Carmel Valley, California with his wife and son.