New psychological support dog gives 4 helping paws to AHS first responders
He's only three years old but he's ready and willing to lend a furry shoulder to first responders.
Meet Delray, the new service dog helping Alberta paramedics deal with psychological trauma on and off the job.
He is also the only accredited assistance dog in North America whose job is to help EMS first responders deal with mental trauma.
As part of Alberta Health Services' new Psychological Awareness and Wellness Support (PAWS) program, the black lab and his handler Erica Olson will visit with EMS staff at their stations after traumatic calls.
"We're so lucky to have him, he's a perfect fit for the program," Olson said about her canine partner.
The PAWS program became a reality through a partnership with the Pacific Assistance Dogs Society (PADS), one of Canada's leading assistance dog breeding, raising and training groups.
"We were very specific about building our model around an accredited facility dog, and through the great support of PADS ... we were successful in doing that," said AHS Chief paramedic Darren Sandbeck.
The science of animals and stress
Olson said animal contact has been shown to trigger the production of oxytocin in the body, which helps lowers stress.
"I've always had a connection with animals, and I believe they can help us in any area of our lives, in the sense of just make the day-to-day life better or actually give us support when things are tough," she said.
Sandbeck says EMS professionals deal with trauma every day, and AHS is dedicated to "to support our staff every step of the way."
"Research shows us that animal interactions with humans reduces stress and helps people cope," Sandbeck said.
"So we know that the world of EMS is a very stressful environment, so in order to help our staff cope better, we're introducing … a canine into interacting with our staff."
'This is not bring your pet to work'
The PAWS team will make regular visits to EMS stations to boost first responders' morale, promote mental wellness and offer support to members re-integrating back to work after taking time off for psychological injuries.
"This is not bring your pet to work," Sandbeck said. "This is a specially trained, accredited dog whose job it is to support EMS staff."
Olsen and Delray will also help raise awareness about mental health resources available to AHS employees. The team will also be available after incidents to provide on-site support to first responders.
"So to have Delray in the room with a group of people just actually calms everybody down, takes the stress level down and provides an interaction for those staff," Sandbeck said.
'He has an on and off switch'
Sandbeck said Delray is a versatile dog who is "well-suited" for his new role, adding Delray has been in an "acclimatization" period since July and will start working in an official capacity soon.
"He has an on and off switch; he's either very calm or he's very excited," Sandbeck said. "And when he's released and is doing his job, he's very excited and he just loves people."
The PAWS team will be based in the Central Zone for now as AHS monitors the program for a year and a half to determine how it can be expanded to all zones.
The EMS Foundation, which offers support to first responders, donated $50,000 for the purchase of a modified SUV to transport the PAWS team to its next call.
"Our caring for staff goes beyond the uniform," says Chris Salmon, EMS Foundation board chair. "It's about the people and their families behind those uniforms, which is why we are immensely proud to support this program."
You can follow what Delray and Olsen are up to on Facebook or on Instagram at delray.paws.
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