K9 team helps others cope with stress
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue
Studies show that firefighters are five times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression and often die from suicide rather than from a line of duty death.
In order to combat this national epidemic, for the last three years, the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) Peer Support Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Program has been working on the development of the K-9 Response component of the program aimed to help mitigate the high PTSD rates and suicides in the fire service by placing therapy dogs at fire stations.
FireRescue Magazine:
Be Recovered
Managing Stress
Today, the K-9 Response is comprised of 10 teams, led by Capt. Shawn Campana and her rescue greyhound, Charlie. They have been deployed to multiple highly traumatic incidents, some of which have included pediatric fatalities, to assist first responders to cope with the initial traumatic stress response.
This video highlights Capt. Shawn Campana and Charlie’s journey.
