The County of Grande Prairie Fire Service honoured its top dog at the La Glace Fire Station #1 on Aug. 14.

Casey is a Dalmatian based out of La Glace and has been serving as a therapy dog for the fire service for more than a year.

“Casey will be a powerful ambassador for fire safety education and community engagement, whether visiting schools, participating in public events or simply being a reassuring presence at a firehouse,” said county deputy fire chief Jason Nesbitt.

During the ceremony - which also served as his fifth birthday party - Casey was honoured with his County of Grande Prairie Fire Service badge. 

Casey will serve as a mascot for the fire service helping teach fire prevention in schools, but will also visit fire stations across the county to comfort firefighters.

Casey’s first deployment was to the Dunes West Wildfire last year, where he would visit with firefighters and first responders at the staging area.

He has also gone to schools where he can help teach students to stop, drop, and roll by example and how to crawl under smoke.

Nicky Hemingson, a county firefighter and Casey’s handler, said when she first brought the idea of having a therapy dog program to the county fire service, she received a “resounding yes” from the county’s fire chiefs. 

“A few years ago, at a conference, a captain's word stuck with me, ‘Don't just leave the fire service better than you found it; make it better while you're here.’ Since then, I've dedicated myself to upholding this task and making a paw-sitive impact,” she said.

The fire service has many rooted traditions, one of which is dalmatians.

The history of dalmatians and fire service goes back to horse-drawn carriages when the dogs ran alongside horses and kept the large animals calm when near a fire. They also protected the horses from thieves and other dogs.

Still, dalmatians can be hard to train, noted Nesbitt. 

Hemingson was warned about using a dalmatian for the job she envisioned. Still, she was determined to uphold honoured practices of the fire service and found a litter of puppies. 

She met Casey’s parents, did temperament testing on the young puppies, and found a special connection with one particular puppy.

“About a week after we welcomed the puppy home, our firefighter community suffered a heartbreaking loss of a local firefighter to suicide,” said Hemingson. 

“In the midst of the profound grief, I was asked to bring a puppy to the station to offer comfort to the firefighters as they mourned. 

“Some busy themselves with polishing boots for the upcoming funeral, others searched for photos and mementos of their fallen friend, and a few found comfort in playing with the puppy in those moments as the puppy licked away tears and elicited smiles from previously solemn faces, I knew we were on the right track. 

“We named the puppy and honoured that firefighter. That puppy whose registered name is Spot Me with The Heroes became known as Casey.”

Casey's special training makes him comfortable with things like helicopter landings, sirens, and tones heard in fire halls.

Casey would continue training as a therapy dog and pass the canine behaviour test, then therapy dog evaluation, and eventually gain the title of a crisis response canine. 

A therapy dog is different than a service dog, noted Hemingson. 

Service dogs are often trained to do a particular task for a person, while therapy dogs are trained to go to anybody who needs it at that moment.

“Research has shown that therapy dogs have numerous benefits, including reducing stress and anxiety, lowering blood pressure, improving overall mood and mental state, and even increasing productivity,” said Hemingson. 

“A study conducted by the American Journal of Critical Care found that spending 12 minutes with a therapy dog resulted in greater neurological and psychosocial improvements compared to a 12-minute visit with a human. 

“From personal experience, I've seen that therapy dogs can provide comfort and companionship even when individuals may not be ready to engage in conversation.” 

Hemingson said the simple act of being present with a dog, even for a moment, has the power to brighten a challenging day. 

“It's evident that Casey has become an integral part of the team at station one in La Glace and across the county.”

Other supports

County deputy fire chief Nesbitt said the service has a psychologist available to all its members and a trained peer support team to look after any members who suffer from a mental health injury. 

“Additions like Casey to our team to help support our mental health initiatives are super important to making sure our members are not only physically healthy but mentally healthy, to look after our community,” he said.

Nesbitt said the fire service wants to support its members when they develop grassroots ideas that will benefit the organization and help make it a reality. 

Casey’s also been featured in a children's book telling his story; more booksare hopefully coming soon. 

On Aug. 14, Casey raised his right paw and pledged his unwavering loyalty as a first responder, pledging to grant tail wags and smiles to all he encounters, offer comfort in times of distress, and enjoy moments of celebration and with every paw step he vowed to spread warmth and kindness in the face of adversity and serve as a beacon of comfort. 

Casey was then given a giant birthday cupcake. 

A celebration BBQ and birthday party at the La Glace fire station included ballon dalmations and a fire obstacle course for children. 

Hemingson said if Casey could talk, she believes his message would be: “Be sure to listen without judgment, be of service to others, live in the moment and take every opportunity to enjoy the simple things in life.”