By Laura Bailey
With soulful brown eyes, a calm demeanor and the training to comfort those experiencing trauma, Okee the fire dog is on duty. In just 10 short days, the 3-year-old emotional support dog has made a positive impact on Bristol residents.
“We took her to the parks and rec camp at Bristol Eastern last week, and she met about 150 kids,” said Bristol Fire Chief Richard Hart. “She has a better social life than most people, she’s in high demand.”
Okee was rescued and trained to be an emotional support dog by K9s For Warriors in Ponte Vedra Florida. The 3-year-old Shepard-Hound mix is the first fire peer support dog in the state.
Okee arrived in Connecticut on Aug. 5.
Hart said Okee’s primary mission is peer support. She will join the eight firefighters on the peer support team, who help their fellow first responders to manage common behavior issues that may be affecting them.
Okee will also provide emotional support to Bristol residents who are experiencing traumatic events.
“Okee will be available to provide emotional support after a traumatic incident. She’ll walk around the room from person to person, and her job is to make friends” said Hart. “She’s a great addition to the city, and she’s just a sweetheart.”
In addition to providing emotional support, Okee will play an important role in educating children on fire safety. The caring canine will visit Bristol elementary school this October to teach the kids how to stop, drop and roll.
In one of her many upcoming events, Okee will be at the Farmer’s Market on Aug. 20. Chief Hart said that Bristol’s newest celebrity has been embraced by all of her new coworkers.
“She likes to go upstairs and just hang out” said Hart. ”She’s one of us.”
To learn more about Okee, or to donate to her care, follow “Okee the Fire Dog” on Facebook.
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