OSID Phil joins Port Coquitlam Fire and Emergency Services

Port Coquitlam Fire and Emergency Services has formally welcomed Phil as a working member of the department’s Occupational Stress Intervention Service Dog program.

The dog will support firefighters after traumatic calls and during Emergency Operations Centre activations, Emergency Support Services events, group lodging operations, council meetings and community wellness activities involving firefighters.

Wounded Warriors Canada funded Phil’s training through BC & Alberta Guide Dogs. Mayor Brad West said the program gives firefighters a direct resource to address the ongoing weight of critical incidents, while Fire Chief Blake Clarkson said it provides a way for members to pause, decompress and reset.

BC & Alberta Guide Dogs said operational stress intervention dogs are bred and trained to assist trauma-exposed professionals in the workplace. The city joins other first-responder and police agencies in Canada using such dogs as part of mental-health strategies.