CHICO, Calif. (CN) — A National Guard member paused for a moment Wednesday by the therapy dogs at the Park Fire base camp.
A quick greeting, a pet and the guard member moved on.
That simple interaction can do wonders according to Robert Garcia, a marriage and family therapist working at the base camp at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico, California.
“Your body stops having that stress reaction,” he said. “There is something definitely special about getting the dogs. Sometimes that’s exactly what people need."
Authorities say the Park Fire, now the state’s fourth largest in recorded history at over 420,000 acres, was sparked July 24 near Chico — about 90 miles north of Sacramento — when a man pushed a burning vehicle into a gulley. The response has since grown to over 6,000 personnel. Over 600 structures have been destroyed and almost 50 damaged. The blaze is 34% contained.
Richard Alamo, with the Sacramento Fire Department and a handler for one of the dogs, said fighting fires takes a toll on mental health. Not only do first responders witness terrible scenes, but they also are away from their families for long periods of time.
That’s a big reason for the peer support trailer at the base camp. Therapists like Garcia are available to talk. And right outside the tailer, under a large tent, are therapy dogs — on Wednesday, Ember and Kingman.
Most therapy dogs are bred for the work, said Kane Johnson with the Huntington Beach Fire Department. Also a therapy dog handler, Johnson said Ember and Kingman came from a shelter. Both turned out to have the temperament and ability to become therapy dogs.
Therapy dogs must become certified, which requires a test. One spot for a test is a big box store. The dog must pass a series of tasks, one of which is to remain lying down for three to five minutes with its handlers out of sight, Johnson said.
“A lot of it really comes down to the handler,” he added.
Many firefighters at the Park Fire work 24-hour shifts, followed by 24 hours off. The days can be grueling. Firefighters will arrive for their shift, have breakfast and receive a briefing. Then they must travel to the fire, and switch places with the crew leaving duty. At shift’s end, they’ll travel back to base camp.
Officials have said that the northeast part of the fire, currently the most active portion, has challenging topography that’s difficult to access.
“The body keeps a score on all these things,” Garcia said. “The mind keeps a score on all these things.”
The experiences of first responders can lead to post-traumatic stress. Garcia said it’s important to address that stress before it becomes a serious problem.
Suicide kills more firefighters than being in the line of duty, Johnson said. That’s why the therapy dogs and the on-call therapists are important.
A firefighter for almost 30 years, Alamo said the push to care for mental health began about five years ago. Firefighters can relate to other firefighters better than others. A firefighter is more likely to listen to a peer about mental health than someone else.
“We say, hey, it’s OK to be human,” Alamo said. “Your brain doesn’t know you wear a badge and a uniform.”
Alamo called it cultural competency, which Garcia has. He’s a former Army medic who figured it was a natural transition to work with first responders.
Blanca Mercado, a public information officer for Cal Fire, makes a point of visiting the dogs. She does three rounds each day around base camp. One of her stops is always the dogs.
The dogs are rotated. Mercado said they get tired as well, as they take on the energy and stress of the humans who visit them.
“Just having someone to be so excited to see you,” she said of the dogs in a Tuesday phone interview. “You kind of get away for a few minutes.”
Garcia said he’s seen that stress relief in real time.
Everyone is welcome to interact with the dogs, but he’ll still see people on the perimeter, struggling with themselves about if they should approach. Then, the drive to be with a dog winning, they’ll walk over.
“You step back, let them be with the dog,” Garcia said. “They’re here to be petted.”
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