Thanks to The North 40 Tavern for their support. A north woods tavern somewhere in the middle of a big city. They regularly rotate tap beers, so stop in to see what’s currently flowing.
South Metro Fire has expanded their mental health program with an emotional support dog. Halligan (Hal for short) is a golden retriever who joined the team recently and is already making an impact.
“There’s been a handful of firefighters already that are keyed in and loving on the dog. They come in right away and they’ll sit in a chair and just pet Hal for 10 minutes and hang out, throw the ball,” said Assistant Fire Chief Terry Johnson. “If it helps one firefighter, I think it’s worth it.”
How It Works
Training: Johnson is Hal’s handler and will take the dog through the year-long training to get its service dog certification. “The training is designed to teach the dog to engage with responders,” said Johnson. “Essentially it should be able to key in on responders who are struggling.”
Logistics: Hal comes to South Metro Fire courtesy of Soldier 6, a nonprofit organization that pairs dogs with first responders. Solider 6 connected South Metro Fire with a breeder who donated the dog. Soldier 6 will provide lifetime training for Hal and cover all his vet bills for the first year.
Impact: “We’ve already noticed an impact,” said Johnson. After recent incidents—including a shooting and home explosion in South St. Paul—Johnson brought in the dog and firefighters played with Hal, petting him, playing with toys, and giving him treats. “You can really see it kind of bring light to the firefighters and just lighten the mood.”
Local connections:
- A South St. Paul police officer who retired with post-traumatic stress disorder founded Solider 6.
- One of Soldier 6’s primary trainers, Mike Boehmer, grew up in West St. Paul, graduated from Henry Sibley High School, and volunteered as a reserve officer with the West St. Paul Police Department.
- Hal’s brother Riley is serving with the South St. Paul Police Department.
A tool: “When we look at the long-term effects of the career and responding to all these emergencies, it’s this chronic accumulation of mental stressors,” said Johnson. “This isn’t the be all, end all cure, but it’s another tool in our toolbox.”
The Mental Health of First Responders
Status: “Realistically, I’d say it’s a work in progress,” Johnson said. “It is a struggle. You see things day in and day out—it warps your view of society.”
What helps: “It can be almost like a muscle, that can be exercised and managed,” Johnson said. Some of those tools include the PAR 360 program, as well as basics like healthy diet, exercise, and good sleep. “Mental well being is something you need to work on before it gets out of control or before you develop unhealthy coping mechanisms.”
What’s next: “There’s always more that can be done, and as we learn more we try to provide more resources for firefighters,” Johnson said.
The Name
- A halligan is a firefighter tool used for forcible entry, designed by and named after New York City firefighter Hugh Halligan in 1948.
- In training, Johnson jokes that a halligan is the “key to the city.” He describes it as a “strong, rugged, and versatile too.”
- They surveyed the team with a handful of names and the firefighters chose Halligan.
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