Answering The Call w/ Jake Windell

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Firefighters Need Help, Too, And Dogs Can Be The Right Fix

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About The Episode

Firefighters are facing a mental health crisis. Two years ago, the International Association of Firefighters produced a study that said more firefighters died from suicide than died on the fire line during duty in 2018. It was proof that change needed to happen, and the conversation around mental health needed to shift.

Jake Windell has been a firefighter for around a decade now. At his last station, he would foster dogs that were either strays or in neglectful situations. Jake knew the impact dogs could have, as his parents were psychologists and worked with a dog in their practice to help people open up. He also saw that the dogs he was fostering was having the same impact with his co-workers and that firefighters were interacting together more, having better relationships, and generally improving the morale. Having a dog around made everyone feel more connected. However, dogs had been removed from fire stations about 10 years ago due to logistical matters.

At his previous station, Jake also got involved with the Peer Support Team within the Fire Department to help each other out, speak to fellow firefighters at a peer-to-peer level with knowledge of the situations, and be able to direct to resources for mental health professionals and/or treatment. Through that program, he was able to put in a request to get a comfort/therapy dog to help his team. Earlier this year, that finally came to life when they got connected with the Patriotic Service Dog Foundation and Echo became Jake’s dog and is shared with his whole fire department.

The idea has been working. While firefighters typically may have a tough guy mentality and be more resistant to sharing their feelings, or even acknowledging that they’re important. However, attitudes are changing and about mental health and it is starting to be taken as seriously as physical injuries. Having Echo around has really made a difference in allowing his team to soften up, and have become more open to speak to Jake about what is on their mind. She also provides a positive source of energy when they get back to the station after a tough call, and helping the crew to decompress. Even with the latest Bobcat Fire in LA, Jake was able to communicate openly with firemen outside of his own team because Echo opened the door for dialogue and shared connection.

Hopefully, this is only the beginning for us to see the ways in which dogs can make an impact on more fire departments across LA county and the world. While firefighters are looking out for us, it’s important to make sure someone is looking out for them, too. And if that means a furry four-legged friend at every fire department again, then we are all for it.

About The Guest - Jake Windell

Jake Windell is an LA county firefighter who has a therapy dog, named Echo, who he brought into his fire station to help make a difference in the ongoing mental health crisis of the fire world. Firefighters are often seen as a tough group, where it can be sometimes hard to break down emotional walls. They risk their lives daily to save others and 1-in-5 firefighters actually suffer from post-traumatic stress or cumulative stress injuries (and even that is underreported, as it’s still not common to report this type of injury). However, through the Peer Support Team that Jake is involved with, they are trying to make actionable changes to address mental health. One of the successful efforts so far has been with Echo, where having a dog around provides comfort to the firefighters and allows them to feel more comfortable to talk about how they may be handling emotional distress.

(Lindsay Bird, one of our West Coast Correspondents from Deity Animal Rescue, takes on hosting duties for the conversation)

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