Meet Jack!

Meet Jack:
MFD's First Responder Peer Support Therapy Dog

Jack is a 9 year old British lab who was born in South Dakota. Since Jack was a puppy, he has always loved being around people, snuggling, and giving too many kisses. Jack’s favorite thing to do is hunt birds. Jack retired from bird hunting last year and found a new job as a first responder therapy dog. Jack is the first therapy dog at the Missoula Fire Department and is also a member of the Peer Support team. You can find jack hanging out at the fire station making people smile or chasing a ball in the river when he is off duty.

The purpose of the PSD program is to provide a calming and comforting presence in the firehouse environment while helping bridge communication between first responders and professional mental health services.

The Missoula Fire Department Peer Support dog may be present and utilized for scene calls involving comfort therapy, debriefs, station visits, public education, community events or presentations, and any other times deemed necessary and appropriate by the handler or the Peer Support Team, providing a handler is available.

Suicide rates among first responders, including firefighters, paramedics, police officers, and other emergency personnel, are significantly higher than those in the general population. These elevated rates are largely attributed to the unique and chronic stressors faced by first responders, such as exposure to trauma, long and irregular work hours, a culture that may discourage seeking help, and the emotional toll of their work.

Peer Support Therapy Dogs, like Jack, can and do help reduce stress for first responders.

Key Statistics:

Firefighters: Studies suggest that the rate of suicide among firefighters is often higher than the number of line-of-duty deaths. The Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA) estimates that more firefighters die by suicide than in on-duty incidents each year.
Police Officers: Law enforcement officers also experience elevated suicide rates. In the U.S., police officers are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty. Studies indicate that the suicide rate for police officers is about 17 per 100,000, compared to around 14 per 100,000 in the general population.
EMTs/Paramedics: Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and paramedics face similar risks. Research suggests that EMTs are 1.39 times more likely to die by suicide than the public.

Contributing Factors:

Exposure to Trauma: Repeated exposure to traumatic events can lead to mental health conditions such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety, which are risk factors for suicide.
Stigma: There is often a stigma associated with seeking mental health care within first responder communities, which can prevent individuals from accessing the help they need.
Occupational Stress: The high-pressure environment, irregular work hours, and the responsibility of making life-or-death decisions contribute to chronic stress.

Efforts to Address the Issue:

Mental Health Programs: There has been an increasing focus on providing mental health resources, peer support programs, and training to first responders to recognize and address mental health issues.
Legislation: Some regions have passed legislation to provide mental health benefits for first responders and make it easier for them to access care.
This is an area of growing concern, and many organizations are working to better understand and address the mental health needs of first responders.