Dogs have increasingly become a part of a support network helping IAFF members and their families navigate grief, trauma, and stress whether at national memorials or local emergencies.
At this year’s IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial, dogs with Go Team Therapy were on-site throughout the weekend, offering comfort and connection to families and members.
“The dogs have been wonderful to see,” said Mollie McCammon, who traveled to honor her late husband, Harrison, AR Local 2995 member Jim McCammon, as his name was added to the Wall of Honor.
Go Team has supported the memorial since 2012, giving families a chance to pause and find moments of peace amid an emotionally intense weekend.
“We have 11 dogs out here tonight,” said Go Team Therapy’s Nicole Sawicki during the Friends and Family Gathering. “This event is a bit more lighthearted, and it’s a good time for family members to enjoy the dogs and each other ahead of the memorial.”
The organization was founded after the 2012 Waldo Canyon fire. “Our founder, Nancy, and her son, took their dogs to camps where fire fighters were working and to hotels housing displaced families. They saw the real need,” said Sawicki. “Now, we have teams across the country and love providing well-trained dogs to our communities.”
During the weekend, the teams were stationed at hotels, Memorial Park, and the airport.
“The dogs and their handlers were truly part of our team at this year’s Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial. They brought comfort, love, and calm to families and guests during a weekend full of heavy emotions,” said members from Colorado Springs, CO Local 5. “We’re grateful for the care and compassion they shared with us and our fire service family.”
The dogs and their handlers were truly part of our team at this year’s Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial. They brought comfort, love, and calm to families and guests during a weekend full of heavy emotions.
members from colorado springs, co local 5
IAFF Behavioral Health Specialist Lindsay Longo said, “From a clinical perspective, interaction with dogs has been shown to lower physiological signs of stress including heart rate and cortisol levels while also fostering emotional regulation, social connection, and a sense of safety. These are all key elements of supporting individuals through times of high stress or trauma.”
The reach of dogs extends beyond memorials. Last year, they offered comfort to IAFF members after a home explosion in Loudoun County, Va., left one fire fighter dead and several others injured.
“There was a peer support mission the following week to check on all our members after the tragic loss of fire fighter Trevor Brown,” Local 3756 President John Myers shared with the IAFF. “The presence of the dogs had a noticeable impact. People who were closed off began to open up. The dogs weren’t there to talk, they just offered comfort. Whether it was pressure therapy or sitting quietly by someone’s side, it made a huge difference.”
Nikki Charles, Executive Director of Hero Dogs, Inc., highlighted the growing role of dogs in fire service mental health efforts.
“The use of dogs in fire programs isn’t new, but I’m constantly in awe of what these teams are doing. They’re not just supporting their own, they’re deploying to other departments, responding directly to tragedies, and building awareness in the communities they serve,” she said. “The impact has far exceeded what I imagined when we placed our first facility dog in a fire department in 2022.”
