Episode 14: Transforming Firefighter Mental Health: Wilmington Fire Department’s Facility Dog Program

Pierce™ Dispatch Podcast

Featuring: Host Dan Meyer & Lieutenant Josh Baltz
Date published: 9/6/2024
🚒🐕 Discover how facility dogs are revolutionizing firefighter mental health!

In this podcast episode, Lieutenant Josh Baltz from the Wilmington Fire Department in North Carolina discusses the impact of their facility dog program. Lt. Baltz details how specially trained dogs are integrated into daily operations to provide crucial support for crisis response and mental health every day. He shares personal experiences and highlights the program's broader effects on the department and the community, emphasizing the cultural shift it has fostered and the improvements in mental health outcomes. Tune in to learn about the logistics of the program, the role of the dogs in the fire service and a valuable model for fire departments looking to implement a program across the nation.

Join us as we continue to bring together customers, industry professionals and Pierce experts in future episodes, providing a platform for insightful discussions on the advancements and challenges within the firefighting community.
Whether you’re in the market for the latest in fire apparatus technology, or just passionate about the firefighting community and its evolution, this episode of Pierce™ Dispatch is for you.

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1. Episode 14: Transforming Firefighter Mental Health: Wilmington Fire Department’s Facility Dog Program (00:00:00)

2. Lieutenant Josh Baltz (00:00:28)

3. Role of Dogs in Fire Departments (00:01:07)

4. The Facility Dog Program's Origin (00:02:27)

5. Implementation and Impact of the Facility Dog Program (00:04:47)

6. Training and Responsibilities of Facility Dogs (00:05:34)

7. Acceptance and Cultural Shift in the Fire Department (00:09:19)

8. Broader Impact and Future of the Program (00:14:25)