It’s been 90 minutes since the tones sounded. As the overhead doors roll up, the sound of the ambulance backing in fills the bay. The engine rumbles to a stop, and the expansive space is now filled with concrete, steel, and suddenly, silence. After most calls, as the responders emerge from their rigs, the room is immediately filled with voices discussing details, what went well, what could have been improved, and even laughter over a shared joke. But today is different. Faces are drawn, turned to the floor, avoiding eye contact with each other, lest emotions boil over. Nobody really wants to think, much less talk, about the scene they just left behind.
The crew silently completes the necessary tasks to ready the rig for the inevitable next call, and they head into the firehouse. Weary bodies sink into chairs around the shared table, no words to be found. Then, finally, the silence is broken. “Hey, Glory,” is whispered as her wet nose nudges a hand, inviting a pet of her soft coat. Glory sits down next to the chair, resting her head on a knee, deep brown eyes gazing up without judgment, without expectation, only adoration for the crew that she loves. She senses the sadness, the “what-ifs” that everyone is feeling, and the pieces of the call that her crew has carried back home with them. Though she may not understand it, Glory knows that this is her family, and that her family is hurting. All she has for them at this moment is love. She hops up on the sofa between two of her people, a hand resting on her head, her feet stretched out over another’s lap. Slowly, the dog lying quietly next to them becomes a bridge out of the darkness.
“Glory,” a one-year-old German Shepherd, is just one of many of this type of dog serving in first responder agencies across the country. She has been specially trained as a crisis response therapy K-9. Paired with her handler, EMS Battalion Chief Justin Smith, she serves not only to provide comfort and support to her crew at the station, but also to provide peer support to responders in other agencies, and to the general public in the aftermath of a critical incident or disaster. Her training has been specialized for the first responder world – ready to respond with little to no notice, providing a calm, comforting presence in the face of intense emotion, grief, and even chaos.
The idea of training a crisis response therapy K-9 for the fire and EMS department in Knoxville, Iowa, was inspired by the work of Crisis Response K-9 “Matt” and his handler Kristin Kotrous, special agent in charge of the Iowa Department of Public Safety Wellness Bureau. Kristin and K-9 Matt provide regular wellness visits and support following traumatic events to civilian and sworn employees of all divisions within the Iowa DPS. The DPS divisions include the Iowa State Patrol and Communications, Criminal Investigation, Intelligence and Fusion Center, Narcotics Enforcement, Fire Marshal, Commissioner’s Office, and Administrative Division. Kristin and K-9 Matt also provide support to victims, witnesses and law enforcement/first responder agencies across the State of Iowa following traumatic events. Justin had heard of the work that Kristin and K-9 Matt were doing, and the positive effects that their service was having on their community and those who Matt was able to help in crisis situations. Justin contacted Kristin, who put him in touch with Deputy Darrah Metz of the Franklin County Sheriff Dept. in Columbus, Ohio, about their national program for First Responder Therapy K-9 training. K-9 Matt and Kristin graduated from this program in 2021.
Through a co-ownership with a local professional dog trainer and German Shepherd breeder, Anna Childs of Adelhorst Kennels in Altoona, Iowa, “Glory” was selected to be paired with Battalion Chief Smith as candidates for a crisis response therapy K-9 team. Over the next several months, Glory and Justin continued training, and in November of 2022, they graduated from the Franklin County Ohio Therapy K-9 training program. After obtaining certification at the national level, Glory has since been badged through the Knoxville (IA) Fire & EMS Department as a crisis response K-9. Glory lives at home with Smith and his family, but on every shift she can be found accompanying him and the rest of her crew at the firehouse. Glory knows that when the tones sound, it’s time to head to her kennel so her crew can go do their jobs. When they return, it’s her turn to help.
It was evident soon after Glory’s official certification that there is immeasurable community support for the program and increasing interest in the implementation of more crisis response K-9 teams in the area. Though the initial focus was on providing peer support for other first responders, the demand for the program has quickly expanded far beyond incident debriefings. Weekly, if not daily, inquiries are received about appearances at local schools, presentations to crisis response agencies, and educational visits with other community groups. Several other Central IA EMS and fire departments have also reached out about how to get a team started for their agency. Examples of potential deployments for a crisis response K-9 team, over and above the daily duties of the team in their own agency, would include; major/traumatic incidents, school demonstrations, grief, loss and trauma, natural disaster incidents, victim forensic interviews, criminal investigations/interviews, crisis intervention, medical facility visits (hospitals, nursing homes, VA clinics, etc.), staff wellness and peer support.
John Halferty, sheriff of Jasper County, is a big supporter of the Crisis Response Canine program. “In order for our first responders to take care of us, we need to make sure we are taking care of them. Providing resources for those on the front line who experience trauma and critical incidents, time and again, is a critical need. If we don’t provide those resources, who will? As a strong supporter of mental health and wellness resources for our first responders, I fully endorse the crisis canine teams. These tremendous resources have proven time and again that they are invaluable in both group and individual settings. Our crisis canine teams have also responded to school events and major incidents. They work side by side with other resources, helping those who are struggling or hurting. I personally thank those crisis canines and their human partners who dedicate time and training to this incredible resource!”
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In response to the need for more crisis response K-9 teams in Central IA, Justin and his wife, Rebecca, founded a non-profit, Crisis Canines of the Midlands, with a vision of utilizing donations to fund the training, care, equipping and deployment of more teams of dogs and their first responder handlers. This allows an agency to implement a crisis response K-9 team at no cost to their governing agency, eliminating the budgetary limitations that often play into a decision to add such a program.
With non-profit based funding in place, all it takes to add a team to an agency is a first responder willing to act as a handler, and the selection of a K-9 partner to begin training. Once trained, these teams are capable of serving at many levels, from providing peer support for other first responders during debriefings, to responding to incidents at schools or other public events or facilities, aiding the public in the aftermath of a casualty or disaster. The Therapy K-9 program also offers an exceptional opportunity for public relations between a department and their community through educational outreach appearances at community and school events.
The mission of Crisis Canines of the Midlands is to raise enough funds through donations from individuals and local businesses to cover the majority of the expense of getting a new team through the certification process for the first six months to a year, including the acquisition of a K-9 candidate, veterinary wellness and preventative care, nutrition, training, equipment, and public outreach materials. As the program grows, we hope to be able to provide financial support for teams across Iowa and beyond.
More information can be found through contacting Crisis Canines of the Midlands at crisiscanineglory@gmail.com, (515) 344-2257, or by visiting social media @crisiscanineglory.