Cañon City Fire Protection District announces new dog to join Peer Support Team

The Cañon City Area Fire Protection District is proud to announce the newest member of their Peer Support Team.

One-year-old Bernedoodle, Nova, will be joining the team as a specially trained support system.

Canon City Area Fire Protection

Nova is trained to recognize elevated or diminished nervous system responses related to stress or anxiety in people.

She received her training in the Rocky Mountain Service Dog Project program in Utah and has been taught and loved by trainer Chauntil Gillins-Thain.

After her extensive training, Nova found her way to the Fire District as a donation from Joey and Sandy Esposito. This will be the 60th service dog the Espositos have donated to first responders, veterans, and others in need.

The Peer Support Program is a program that sees firefighters help other firefighters. As one could imagine firefighters find themselves in a variety of stressful situations often, and still have to deal with life outside of their work. The program helps firefighters receive the support they need to navigate stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues.

Nova will be an amazing addition to this program and will surely help countless firefighters when they are dealing with these situations.

Her handlers are husband and wife Lt. Kevin Evans and Executive Assistant Beth Evans who both work in the Cañon City Area Fire Protection District. Nova will accompany them to the station and stay for the 24-hour shift.

She will not however be joining the crews on trucks when they receive emergency calls, instead, she will safely stow herself away and await the return of her team who will be counting on her when they get back.

They want to wish Nova a warm welcome to her new community!

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