BELMONT — Sometimes the biggest things come in small packages. In the case of the newest addition to this town’s fire department, that big thing is not just small, but also furry, wiggly and led by its nose.

Riggs, an 8-week-old black Labrador puppy, was welcomed to the Belmont Fire Department on Tuesday afternoon with a party that featured both human and canine celebrants. Riggs has already begun his training to become a comfort dog, and in doing so he sets a historic mark as the first service dog of his type in a New Hampshire firehouse.

Fire Chief Deb Black took ownership of Riggs on Friday, and in doing so realized a long-held dream of Claire Hebert-Dow, an author who used proceeds from sales of her memoir “Saving Mama” to make Riggs’ arrival possible.

Riggs, who will live with Black and accompany her through her workday, has already come to terms with the two other dogs at the Black house, tried out many different laps in the firehouse, and even met the governor.

Black said she likes what she sees so far from her new recruit.

“He’s very curious, he has little to no fear of things. He would check everything out, which is perfect. He won’t step back,” Black said.

Though he has only been with his new owner for a few days, Black said Riggs has clearly exhibited a love for people and a sharp intelligence, quickly learning basic commands during his first session with a trainer.

Riggs and Black will be working with Kelly Bourgeois, of Doggonit Training in Gilford, to prepare him for a lifetime of service to his new community.

Riggs won’t be Bourgeois’ first comfort canine. Among her graduates is Miller, a 6-year-old yellow Lab that accompanies Campton Police Det. Kristin Tracy as she performs her work.

“It’s a total game-changer with the community,” Tracy said about having a friendly dog at her side. She was working in Franklin when she first got Miller, and said at that time they were only the second police department in the state with a comfort dog, while there’s now about 30. If that pattern holds true for the fire service, Riggs will have a long line of puppies following in his paw prints.

While some working dogs are trained to perform specific tasks, such as search-and-rescue or the detection of explosives or other materials, comfort dogs are tasked with helping people regulate their emotions during times of tension, trauma or crisis. That can be useful for victims of a crime or accident, and is also needed at the firehouse for the professionals who responded to that call.

Tracy said Miller has helped her to build rapport with the public.

“When someone in the community sees you and the dog, it takes away that lack of humanity. They don’t see the badge, they just see you as a person with a dog,” Tracy said.

Riggs was born at Boonefield Labradors in Rindge, and breeder Peggi Brogan was among the attendees at his welcoming party on Tuesday. Brogan said they are now on their seventh generation of dogs bred specifically for their temperaments, with nearly all the dogs they’ve bred providing service to communities around New England, in places such as public safety agencies, schools, assisted living homes and funeral parlors.

“It’s so rewarding,” Brogan said about her work. “People ask, ‘How can you let them go?’ Look at the work they’re doing, how could we not?”

Looking back on her experiences that led up to Riggs’ welcoming party, Hebert-Dow said it was remarkable how many seemingly unrelated events wound round each other to form a chain.

First, there was the Bow-WOW Fest, a dog walking parade Hebert-Dow started a decade ago as a way to raise funds for local police dog programs. At that event, she met Officer Evan Boulanger, and his K9 partner Vito. She was moved to write “Saving Mama,” which recounted both her life as well as how her cats and dogs helped guide her through some of the more difficult passages, and publishing the book brought her to meet other people, who inspired her to dedicate the proceeds to provide the state’s first fire department comfort dog.

“I’m so grateful that so many things happened,” Hebert-Dow said. “I feel overwhelmed with joy, for all the people that made this happen.

“I will never forget this moment.”

If sales of “Saving Mama” support it, Hebert-Dow would like to extend the project by placing more comfort dogs in public service. Now that there’s one in Belknap County, that leaves three more, by her count, that don’t have a dog they can call on in times of crisis.

Bourgeois is offering her training at no charge to Belmont, and said she would offer the same deal to any community in the state.

“They work they do is incredible,” Bourgeois said about comfort dogs, “I would want to work with any town that would want to have one.”

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