Courage: A Four-Legged Hero Bringing Hope and Support to Firefighters

-Editorial 

For firefighters at the Imperial County Fire Department, returning from a difficult call can mean more than checking equipment and preparing for the next emergency. At the department, a four-legged crew member often waits to help ease the tension.

Courage, a boxer mix and trained therapy dog, has become part of the department’s mental health and peer-support efforts, providing companionship and a welcome distraction for firefighters following stressful calls.

“Courage is the life of the party here,” said Capt. Daniel Martinez of the Imperial County Fire Department. “All of us really get to enjoy and get to hang out with him. He’s a very good, friendly, happy dog, and he just wants to play.”

The department’s peer-support program is made up of firefighters trained to assist fellow firefighters during times of crisis or after traumatic incidents. Martinez said the team’s role is to help firefighters talk about difficult experiences without the stigma that can sometimes surround mental health.

Research and experience within the fire service have highlighted the cumulative impact of repeated exposure to traumatic events. While people may experience one to three traumatic events during their lives, Martinez said firefighters can encounter hundreds or even thousands of potentially traumatic incidents during their careers.

That exposure has contributed to mental health challenges within the fire service, including suicide and substance abuse concerns, he said.

The department’s peer-support team responds after particularly difficult calls, providing an opportunity for firefighters to discuss what happened and connecting them with available resources, including employee assistance programs and therapists who specialize in working with first responders.

Courage plays a different but complementary role.

“He’s breaking the tension and making it easier for us to talk to people,” Martinez said.

Courage serves as a facility dog, meaning he remains with Martinez, his handler, while he is on duty. The dog can accompany Martinez to different fire stations, with a crate and other equipment available when they travel.

Courage joined the department in February after completing training through an Imperial County behavioral health program known as the PET Program. The program trains dogs for service and therapeutic roles before they are placed with organizations or agencies.

Courage was originally found roaming the streets of Calipatria and was taken to the Humane Society, Martinez said. He later entered the county program, where he spent about eight months before becoming available for adoption.

His name came with him.

“He actually came with that name before we got him,” Martinez said. “It was like he was destined to be here. Everything lined up for him to be attached to the fire department.”

At the station, Courage has his own room and has learned the department’s routines. When the station receives a call and the tones sound, he knows it is time to move.

“Anytime we get a call, he already knows our toneouts, and he’ll go straight to his room,” Martinez said.

Away from work, however, Courage shows a different side of his personality.

Martinez said the white boxer mix is playful and goofy, characteristics commonly associated with the breed. At work, though, he can become focused and attentive, particularly when someone appears to need comfort.

During a recent training session, Martinez recalled that a first responder from San Diego was going through a stressful period in her life. Courage gravitated toward her and stayed nearby as a companion.

“He’s really good at picking up on how people are feeling,” Martinez said.

Fire Engineer and firefighter Raymundo Zavala, who is also part of the department’s peer-support team, said Courage has become a positive presence during the workday.

“The work environment that we’re in is kind of stressful,” Zavala said. “When we come back from a call, he’s always there, jolly, and helps out through the day.”

Zavala said simply having Courage around provides an opportunity to step away from the pressures of the job.

“If I’m not doing anything, I’ll go and play with him,” he said. “It’s nice to have him here.”

The dog’s role can be especially meaningful for firefighters spending long hours away from their families, Zavala said.

For Martinez, Courage has also become part of his life away from the station. When Martinez is off duty, Courage goes home with him, and the two share time outside the department.

After periods of extended work hours, Martinez said, Courage can be as tired as the firefighters themselves.

“He gets tired and exhausted,” Martinez said. “Whenever he gets home, just like me, he’s catching up on rest.”

The department plans to bring Courage to several mental health awareness events in October, including a service dog awareness event Oct. 1 and an event marking World Mental Health Day Oct. 9 at a local college.

Martinez said the department hopes Courage’s presence will help encourage the development of similar programs throughout the local fire service.

“We’re using him as a resource for the firefighters, and we’re happy to share his story,” Martinez said. “We want to see this type of service and program grow through the fire service here locally.”

For now, Courage remains a familiar presence at the station,  part therapy dog, part morale booster and, increasingly, part of the crew.

“He’s just always happy,” Zavala said.