San Francisco Firefighters Welcome Peer Support Dogs
San Francisco Fire Station 4, 449 Mission Rock San Francisco, CA 94158
Tuesday, February 22, at 2 pm (Expected end time 1045)
This is a COVID-19 compliant press conference. All attendees must wear a mask and adhere to all social distancing protocols.
RSVP to firepio@sfgov.org
San Francisco, CA – The San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) will accept the donation of two fully trained peer support/facility dogs from leading service dog non-profit, Thor's Hope Foundation, in partnership with Performance K9 Training, Inc., as they launch a new Peer Support K9 Program for the SFFD.
Dogs "Marley" and "Sadie" have completed hundreds of hours of training to support firefighters, Emergency Medical technicians, and Paramedics (EMS workers) with PTSD or high levels of stress in a variety of situations. These two dogs are the first in a new Peer Support/Facility K9 Program in the SFFD. The Department is extremely grateful to Thor’s Hope Foundation and K9 Performance Training!
The Facility Canine teams will be supported by the National First Responders Fund (NFRF) with food, toys, and equipment. Thank you NFRF.
Over the last six years, the number of suicides for firefighters and EMS workers has surpassed the number of line-ofduty deaths nationwide. In addition to wildfires and an ever-increasing medical call load, mental and physical health has never been more critical for first responders. The addition of peer support dogs can help first responders manage stress, whether related to large-scale incidents, extended deployments, or day-to-day issues.