Crisis response canine note-to-nose with a weary firefighter laying on a lawn.

Response Services

Who and How We Help

We respond at the request of emergency response agencies, community organizations, school officials, and counselors already providing social services and humanitarian aid in our communities.

These organizations may request NATIONAL Crisis Canine teams before, during or after a critical incident that touches their community or staff.

All requests are confidential.

We help who you help, including your own personnel. We can provide:

  • Psychological First Aid
  • Peer Support and Critical Incident Stress Management
  • Suicide prevention and intervention
  • PsySTART™️ rapid mental health triage
  • Incident Command System compliant operations
Crisis Response Canine being held by a teen in a traumatic situation.

Crisis Response

Our teams are uniquely qualified to work alongside responders in an emergency. Our crisis response teams — both the handler and the canine — are specifically trained for working with the emotionally complex behaviors of people in crisis, and in the physically complex environments of disasters.

All teams are trained, certified and insured, with criminal history background clearances. Our training includes, but is not limited to, FEMA’s Incident Command Structure (ICS), and the National Incident Management System (NIMS). We integrate seamlessly into emergency response efforts at any level — from local grassroot efforts to federal Tier 1 catastrophic or mass casualty event activations.

A crisis response canine, a golden lab, being hugged by a rescue worker in need of emotional relief.

Trauma Support

Connection-centered care with trauma-informed support has proven effective in reducing depression, PTSD and long term effects of traumatic events. NATIONAL teams enhance and strengthen these multi-component approaches with evidence-based methods developed by SAMSHA and The National Center for PTSD. The presence of a calm affiliative canine can ease distress, reduce adrenaline and heart rate, and help the individual find connection, self-efficacy and safety.

While responders commonly have a higher resistance to the effects of trauma and crisis, prolonged exposure can lead to compassion fatigue or secondary traumatic stress. A canine team provides responders with moments of calm, emotional respite and a reminder that their service and sacrifice are valued.

Learn more about the biology behind canines+crisis recovery.

Embedded Crisis Response Canine team in Fire Department during an active fire training exercise. Canine is a border collie with protective goggles on.

Embedding & Affiliations

Through regular interactions with our community partners, we build trusted relationships, support their programs and help with crisis preparedness. When an incident happens, we're able provide both the immediate psychological stability survivors need, as well as the ongoing support your team needs to mitigate the cumulative effects of traumatic situations.

If your organization is considering adding crisis canine teams to your workplace, you can learn more about our training and certification programs here.

We can set up, design and formalize our relationship with your organization however it works best for all. Call today and we'll talk!

Crisis Response Canine, a golden retriever, looking at camera.

Let's Talk

Call or text (971) 217-9966 to explore the many ways we can complement and enhance your emergency response and recovery services. Or click links below to learn more: