By Michael B. Drew
Last year while interning at a day treatment program in Canandaigua, New York, I was blessed to be a part of something unique. The facility is dedicated to the treatment of people who’ve sustained traumatic brain injuries. This group of people and those who work with them are the most inspiring and courageous people you could ever meet. They deal in problem solving each and every minute of the day. From getting dressed in the morning without the use of an arm or a hand to feeding themselves, everything they do requires enormous effort and a fair amount of creativity.
(1) Tucker on the job.
A treasured asset at Happiness House is a therapy dog named Tucker. Tucker is a Goldendoodle; for those unfamiliar with this breed, he’s an extremely intelligent and friendly dog with the intuitive capacity to seek out people in need of companionship. When Tucker wanders the halls of Happiness House, the clients are thrilled to see him; his very presence lifts the spirits of everybody, making the atmosphere much more conducive to overcoming the daily struggles associated with traumatic brain injury.
One day at Happiness House, we were asked to take a group of clients along with Tucker to the children’s treatment program on the opposite end of the building where kids with and without disabilities receive services. While watching Tucker “work the room” and seeing all of the children’s faces light up, I was thunderstruck with a new idea for fire prevention.
(2) Tucker stops, drops, and rolls.
Tom Shepard, the dog’s handler, is a close personal friend and a very dedicated professional. Before sharing my idea with Tom, I simply asked if he thought Tucker could stand on his hind legs and lean against the door. Without questioning, Tom had Tucker comply with the request. I then asked if Tucker could roll over back and forth on the floor; once again Tucker dutifully complied. By the time I asked Tom to have Tucker crawl across the floor, he began to see where all this was going, knowing my background as a fire prevention officer. And so, a new spin on an old lesson plan was born.
(3) Tucker helped reinforce fire prevention lessons with all the kids.
I introduced our concept to the City of Canandaigua fire chief, Mark Marentette. Although we had never met each other, he immediately recognized the potential for this concept and was so enthusiastic that he called his Fire Prevention Officer, Captain Sam Loiacono, at home. In the weeks that followed, Sam and the members of Happiness House built props such as a free-standing door with flames painted on it, a free-standing window frame, and a free-standing mailbox to serve as a meeting place. Tucker began training to feel the door for heat; stop, drop, and roll; stay low and go; and escape using a secondary exit. After jumping through the open window frame, Tucker ultimately takes a seat next to the mailbox and waits for the fire department to arrive, modeling the appropriate tactics to use in a fire scenario.
(4) Tucker with his props.
After arranging a few practice sessions together, we brought Tucker to the Canandaigua Elementary School–his big moment had come. With a group of volunteers from Happiness House, firefighters from the city of Canandaigua, and our newly constructed fire prevention props, Tucker delivered the most inspiring performance ever and held the children’s attention throughout the 40-minute demonstration. The children took turns coming up on stage and practicing with Tucker; some wanted to have their picture taken as well. To test the effectiveness of the program, we followed up by asking some of the children several weeks later if they could recall the lessons learned from the demonstration. We were quite pleased to find that the message was still enthusiastically remembered by our young audience because of the novelty of the approach.
The results of this program became widely publicized and talked about. The fire chief was able to increase his fire prevention budget following this campaign, and the New York State Fire Academy asked us to submit our concept for consideration at the public education conference. The people from Happiness House, who are often underestimated given their traumatic brain injuries, were able to contribute their time and talent to their community, which is therapeutic and validating for them. All in all, I consider this a win-win scenario. As fire service members, we should look to build partnerships within our community and share the excitement, fun, and investment in making our communities safer. After all, we’re in this together!
I would also like to note that Tucker is a certified therapy dog, which means that he has undergone extensive training ensuring the safety of the people with whom he comes in contact. His shot records and certifications are maintained and carried into every school and nursing home he visits.
Michael B. Drew is a retired fire captain from the city of Batavia (NY) Fire Department. Following a career-ending injury, he completed a bachelor‘s degree in advanced fire administration, a master‘s degree in mental health counseling, and was recently accepted into doctoral studies in executive leadership. For more information, please contact Michael B. Drew at drewmichael59@yahoo.com
