A new K-9 officer has joined the Santa Monica Fire Department this week to lift the spirits of its new crew.
Roger, an English Labrador, is the first member of the new K-9 Peer Support Program with the fire department.
“Through Roger’s efforts, the program aims to provide comfort, reduce stress and promote emotional resilience for Santa Monica Fire Department personnel as well as the broader community,” Fire Chief Matthew Hallock said in a statement.
Roger will help Santa Monica city employees, community members and firefighters by attending fire station visits, community events and incident debriefs.
The English Labrador will “interact with the public and be available to firefighters and city employees in need of emotional support,” according to an Instagram post from the Santa Monica Fire Department.
Santa Monica joins several other cities with K-9 support programs including Redondo Beach, Orange County, Huntington Beach, Westminster, Newport Beach and Torrance.
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