PARTNERS … Therapy Dog Tilly with her handler, Kim Nofziger. (PHOTO PROVIDED)
By: Amy Wendt
Delta Community Fire Department (DCFD) is a little less “ruff” with a new therapy dog by their side.
Recently, the department added now 12-week-old goldendoodle pup, Tilly, to the ranks, as a measure to enhance the mental well-being of its department’s first responders.
Initially, the DCFD considered adding a “station dog” to the crew to provide companionship to the firefighters who put in long hours at the station.
Full-time firefighter and paramedic of 7 years Kim Nofziger, was tasked by Fire Chief Jeremy Gillen to look into the idea.
Nofziger went to work researching online and quickly found that many fire departments around the country were bringing therapy dog programs into their firehouses to provide emotional support and comfort to first responders who face high levels of stress, trauma, and burnout in their daily work.
She also noticed that the stations that implemented similar programs had very positive feedback from their first responders.
With her research showing that a certified therapy dog could take on more duties than a standard firehouse companion dog, Nofziger shifted gears and looked into what it would take to bring a certified therapy dog to DCFD.
Taking on the role of the future therapy dog’s handler, Nofziger made arrangements to purchase a pup.
While a Dalmatian may come to mind to some as being a good fit for a fire station, the miniature goldendoodle breed was chosen due to its small to mid-size frame and low shedding coat since it would be traveling and interacting with the public regularly.
The Delta Eagles and Worthington Industries provided a generous donation of funds to not only pay for the purchase of Tilly the therapy dog, but to also cover her food, grooming, and miscellaneous expenses for the next two years.
Already Tilly shows that she has the right temperament and confidence level to carry out her duties as a new member of the fire department.
However, since Tilly is only 12 weeks old as of this writing, she will be residing in the Nofziger home and accompanying her handler during her shift and to department training for her first few weeks.
DCD is now a full-time department and operates 24-hour shifts. The plan is to gradually allow the pup to get acclimated to her surroundings at the station and encourage her to get to know her fellow crewmates in little chunks at a time.
That process is right on track as she has already stayed at the firehouse during a few part-time shifts without her handler and she fits right in with the rest of the crew.
Once Tilly is a bit older and completely comfortable at the firehouse, she will begin staying at DCFD for three weeks at a time, followed by one week “at home” with her handler to decompress before starting the cycle over again.
While a dog in the firehouse may be entertaining at times, it’s not all fun and games. Soon enough, Tilly will begin training to do her job effectively.
Unlike true service dogs such as search dogs or police K9 officers, therapy dogs do not graduate from an academy. The objective for Tilly is to focus first on obedience and then work on her therapy training.
Nofziger says Tilly’s first obedience program, AKC Star Puppy, will begin in June. In the fall, she will complete a Building the Bond program, followed by the AKC Canine Good Citizen program.
Tilly’s last step will be the successful completion of a therapy dog training program.
Nofziger estimates Tilly will be fully certified by the summer of 2024. Once certified, the pup will be stationed at the firehouse to help her fellow crew members unwind after a trying day.
As therapy dogs are highly trained in detecting and responding to other people’s emotions and stress, they are well-suited to provide support during critical incident stress debriefings.
In such situations, therapy dogs not only offer comfort but also play an important role in helping someone struggling with emotions or stress to relax and open up.
Tilly is the first therapy dog stationed at a Fulton County fire department. Nofziger hopes that eventually, Tilly will be available to work with other area fire departments and law enforcement agencies in the event they have a major traumatic incident that would require the use of a therapy dog.
Nofziger, who has a passion for bringing awareness to the importance of first responders’ mental health and welfare, is glad to help bring a tool like Tilly to Fulton County to provide better care to first responders.
While certainly, there are big plans for Tilly’s future, for the next couple of months, she will ease into her new job by spending time building relationships with her “co-workers” and getting familiar with her second home at the fire department.
To keep an eye on Tilly as she grows, check out the social media platforms created for her by DCFD crewmember Libby. On TikTok – @tillydcfd; on Instagram – @tillythefiredog and on Facebook – @tillydcfd.
Amy can be reached at amy@thevillagereporter.com