On July 8, Pepper, a 1-1/2 year-old female black lab mix, will join Savage Fire as the newest recruit to provide overall mental health and wellness support for the Savage Fire Department, city staff, and residents of Savage. Pepper is a peer support therapy Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) canine that will be utilized for emotional well-being, assistance with community events, and  community risk reduction.

Assistant Chief Fire Marshall John Burrow will be her full-time handler and says her "job" is to provide emotional well-being and help reduce stress levels. "Mental health is crucial to our staff's recruitment, retention, and well-being," said Burrow. "Pepper will help our firefighters deal with the day-to-day stresses of the job and work through the stress of critical incidents they have  experienced and the mental challenges that come with that."

On a broader perspective, Pepper will visit with all city staff and regularly make trips to the Police Department, City Hall, and Public Works to promote a positive, more relaxed work environment that enhances productivity and job satisfaction. In addition to the benefits for staff, the Canine Peer Support Program will also be out in the community at events like Night to Unite, Fire  Prevention Week, Pancake Breakfast, Storytime at the Library, and the Halloween Bash. 

Pepper comes to us from Texas, where she was trained by K9's for Freedom and Independence,  a non-profit that takes shelter, rescued, and donated purebred dogs and turns them into  Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) K9s for law enforcement and first responder agencies. A generous donation from the Burnsville/Savage Lions provided the funds to cover the cost of  transporting Pepper, training for Fire Marshall Burrow, and needed supplies.