Wilmington Fire Department welcomes new crisis response dog to its ranks

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Wilmington Fire Department is expanding its mental health and wellness efforts with the addition of a new Crisis Response Facility Dog through the paws4people foundation.

The department already deploys four facility dogs across its shifts: Milo at Headquarters on A Shift, Axel at Station 2 on B Shift, Jethro at Station 3 on C Shift, and Clyde on Day Shift in the Training Division. Now, London, the newest member of the team, is joining the roster.

London will work alongside handler Senior Firefighter Adam Molinelli at Fire Station 5 on A Shift. Like the other crisis response dogs, he will stay at the station during shifts and go home with Molinelli when off duty.

WFD says the goal of the Crisis Response Facility Dog program is to help de-escalate stress after challenging calls, ease tension in the station, lower anxiety, reduce long-term effects of PTSD, and support overall cardiovascular health. The dogs are also trained to provide comfort during emergency responses, helping calm community members affected by traumatic incidents.

London will receive his official Crisis Response Facility Dog vest on Tuesday.