SANTA MONICA—On Monday, April 7, the Santa Monica Fire Department informed Canyon News via email that it added a new member, Roger, The Support Dog to the team.
The Santa Monica Fire Department launched this week, a new K-9 Peer Support Program, an initiative designed to support the mental health and wellbeing of firefighters and other city employees and community members.
The program’s first K-9 team member, an English Labrador named Roger, is a certified support K-9 trained in providing comfort and companionship. Working alongside a designated peer support team handler, Roger will visit fire stations, attend debriefings after critical incidents, attend community events to interact with the public and be available to firefighters and city employees in need of emotional support.
The program aims to provide comfort, reduce stress and promote emotional resilience for the SMFD, personnel as well as the broader community.
“We are thrilled to introduce this program as a proactive step in supporting the mental wellness of our firefighters and city employees,” said Fire Chief Matthew Hallock. “The presence of a therapy dog has been proven to lower stress levels, improve morale and encourage open conversations about mental health. We believe this initiative will make a meaningful impact on our team.”
SMFD joins a growing number of agencies across the nation bringing on a K-9 support program to prioritize mental health for first responders. Southern California includes Redondo Beach Fire, Orange County Fire Authority, Huntington Beach Fire, Westminster Police Department, Newport Beach Fire and Torrance Fire.
By Trevor