New psychological support dog gives 4 helping paws to AHS first responders

He's only three years old but he's ready and willing to lend a furry shouldertofirst responders.

Meet Delray, the new service dog helping Albertaparamedics deal with psychological trauma on and off the job.

He is alsothe onlyaccredited assistance dog in North America whosejob is to help EMS first responders dealwith mental trauma.

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As part of Alberta Health Services'new Psychological Awareness and Wellness Support (PAWS) program, the black laband his handlerEricaOlsonwill visit with EMS staff at their stations after traumatic calls.

"We're so lucky to have him, he's a perfect fit for the program," Olson said about her canine partner.

The PAWS program became a realitythrough a partnership with the Pacific Assistance Dogs Society (PADS), one of Canada's leading assistance dog breeding, raising and training groups.

"We were very specific about building our model around an accredited facility dog, and through the great support of PADS ... we were successful in doing that," said AHS Chief paramedicDarrenSandbeck.

The science of animals and stress

Olsonsaidanimal contact has been shown to trigger the production of oxytocin in the body, which helpslowers stress.

"I've always had a connection with animals, and I believe they can help us in any area of our lives, in the sense of just make the day-to-day life better or actually give us support when things are tough," she said.

Sandbecksays EMS professionals deal with trauma every day, and AHS is dedicated to"to support our staff every step of the way."

"Research shows us that animal interactions with humans reduces stress and helps people cope," Sandbeck said.

"So we know that the world of EMS is a very stressful environment, so in order to help our staff cope better, we're introducing a canine into interacting with our staff."

'This is not bring your pet to work'

The PAWS team will makeregular visits toEMS stationsto boost first responders' morale, promote mental wellness and offer support to members re-integrating back to work after taking time off for psychological injuries.

"This is not bring your pet to work," Sandbecksaid."This is a specially trained, accredited dog whose job it is to support EMS staff."

Olsen and Delray will alsohelpraise awareness about mental health resources available to AHS employees. The team will also be available after incidents to provide on-site support to first responders.

"So to haveDelrayin the room with a group of people just actually calms everybody down, takes the stress level down and provides an interaction for those staff," Sandbeck said.

'He has an on and off switch'

Sandbeck said Delrayis a versatile dog who is "well-suited" for his new role, addingDelray has been in an "acclimatization" period since July and will start working in an official capacity soon.

"He has an on and off switch; he's either very calm or he's very excited," Sandbeck said."And when he's released and is doing his job, he's very excited and he just loves people."

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The PAWS team willbe based in the Central Zone for now asAHS monitors the program for a year and a half to determine how it can be expanded toall zones.

The EMS Foundation, which offers support to first responders,donated $50,000 for the purchase of a modifiedSUV to transportthe PAWS team toits next call.

"Our caring for staff goes beyond the uniform," says Chris Salmon,EMS Foundation board chair."It's about the people and their families behind those uniforms, which is why we are immensely proud to support this program."

You can follow what Delrayand Olsen are up toon Facebook or on Instagram at delray.paws.

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