Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department

4 days ago

GREENSBURG BLOODHOUND TEAM MEMBER HONORED

On May 2, the Greensburg Bloodhound Team returned from a week of Training in McHenry, Maryland; leading up to annual certification from the National Police Bloodhound Association (NPBA). The 40-Hour annual spring event this year was attended by seventy plus law enforcement K9 Bloodhound teams from all over the U.S. The Greensburg Bloodhound Team has been a member of the NPBA since 1971.

This year, there were 8 Bloodhounds and 9 Handlers plus 2 Team members who are instructors for the NPBA attended from Greensburg.

The Greensburg Bloodhound Team is a specialized team of the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department. The handlers and Bloodhounds are Special Deputies of the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Office K9 Specialty Team.

This year, Roland (Bud) Mertz was honored and presented with the Sergeant Joe P. Marcum Award, given annually to a member of the association for outstanding contributions to the development and use of the purebred bloodhound in the field of Law Enforcement. The “Marcum Award” was established in 1963 by Montgomery, Ohio police officer George Dahm in memory of the late Sergeant Joe P. Marcum, also of the Montgomery Police Department, a man highly devoted to the cause of the bloodhound in this field. The award denotes “The Bloodhound Handler of the Year” and serves to make all of the potential candidates for this award desire to strive for the highest possible accomplishments in this field, thus carrying out the beliefs of the man whose memory it serves.

“Bud” Mertz has been an active volunteer firefighter with the Greensburg Fire Department, Truck Company #2 in Westmoreland County for 48 years. He serves as a principal handler and trainer for their Bloodhound Search and Rescue Team and serves as an instructor for the National Police Bloodhound Association. In his professional life he currently serves as the Director of Public Safety for Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

Bud has accumulated 52 years with the National Police Bloodhound Association, having attended his first seminar in the spring of 1972 at the NPBA’s Seminar hosted by the Greensburg Bloodhound Team in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. At that time, Bud was 13 years-old and a “420-Junior” Member of the Fire Department, very much involved with the training of the hounds of the team under the leadership of both Chief J. Edward Hutchinson, and Captain Dale Eicher of the Bloodhound Team.

Bud became an active firefighter and handler upon turning 18 and became a handler of his first Bloodhound Jackie in 1980. Since Jackie (1980-1989), Bud has handled and owned 4 other Bloodhounds - Ruthie (1984-1995); Maggie (1993-2001); Chanel (1994-2004); and Amber (1999-2009). Throughout Bud’s National Police Bloodhound Association affiliation, in addition to Instructor, on numerous occasions has served on the Association’s Board of Trustees and having held the office of NPBA President.

Today, Bud serves as Deputy Commander and Captain of the Greensburg Bloodhound Team, along side NPBA Administrative Instructor and Greensburg Bloodhound Team Commander – Assistant Chief Lou Battistella, also a Marcum Award 2016 recipient.

Over the years, the team has had a total of 33 Bloodhounds, of which 8 are active and working.

In 2023, the Greensburg Bloodhound Team assisted in 40 searches at the request of Law Enforcement and Fire Departments from all over Southwestern Pennsylvania. The Greensburg Bloodhound Team was founded by the late Fire Chief of Greensburg J. Edward Hutchinson in 1969.

This year’s 2024 NPBA Spring Seminar, an approved Licensure & Certification Course by the Maryland Higher Education Commission through Garrett College’s Continuing Education & Workforce Development Department, was attended by: Lou Battistella, Bud Mertz, Scott Stepanovich, Elysia Battistella, David Jackson, David Klingler, Brett Steele, Greg C. Saunders, Gregory Saunders, II, Doug Fordyce, Danielle Grosser, Austin Wentzel, and Patrick Dean, along with Bloodhounds: Lucy, Delphie, Darcy, Delsie, Rocky, Pita, Sassy, and Marley.

Photo Shots Include Bud with NPBA President Brian Tierney - Westchester County (NY) Police Department and GBHT Commander Lou Battistella ... See MoreSee Less