A new program in Broward County is using therapy dogs to respond to traumatic scenes, helping not only the community members impacted but the mental health of first responders as well.
“Prior to this there was no way for therapy dogs within Broward to be contacted should the need arise, such as any type of critical incident at the police departments or fire stations,” said Officer Dana Doklean, of the Hollywood Police Department.
There are 15 dogs in the Broward First Responders Support Dogs. Their job is to provide much needed emotional support, whether that’s visiting schools in the community, helping with hurricane relief efforts or on critical scenes.
“So I take her to school. We do reading programs and interact with kids with learning disabilities,” said firefighter Tim Abramczyk, of the Florida Forest Service.
Last year, K-9 Mango responded after a Broward Sheriff’s Office helicopter crashed in Pompano Beach, killing a fire captain and a woman in her home.
“The impact that he had just on the family alone at the hospital, some of the firefighters, some of the employees and friends that knew [the victim] … was huge,” said Officer Megan Santana, of the Sunrise Police Department.
The hope is to highlight the importance of mental health among first responders.
“A lot of times first responders do deal with PTSD on multiple levels, and so these dogs when they come out, a lot of times it’s just that five-minute break for that first responder, to be able to pet the dog, to be able to kind of calm themselves a little bit,” said Doklean.
As many are constantly exposed to trauma everyday on the job, the group says they hope to make a difference healing their colleagues.
“Even if they’re not going to speak to us, they will kind of interact with the dog and… for a few seconds, just takes away some of that anxiety, some of the emotion that they’re feeling,” Santana said.
They are hosting a fundraising event on Saturday Oct. 19 at Barkyard n’ Brews at 817 NW 1st Street in Fort Lauderdale from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. to help raise funds for training and equipment for the K-9s.
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