Photos courtesy Sexsmith/La Glace Fire Department

By Erika Rolling

Fire Dog

Four-legged fido becomes County Regional Fire Service’s new mascot

Aug 20, 2024 | 12:38 PM

Casey the Fire Dog is the new face of the County Regional Fire Service.

Casey is a five-year-old dalmatian that loves naps, treats, and most importantly giving people comfort in tough times and stressful situations.

His handler, Nicky Hemingson, is a firefighter with the La Glace Fire Department.

She says she was looking for ways to normalize first responders mental health when coming back from hard calls.

“I thought about getting a therapy dog for our firefighters in the County specifically, and when I asked the fire chiefs they were over the moon about it!”

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Casey recently had a birthday party at the La Glace Fire Department in August, where he was celebrated and awarded an official County Regional Fire Service Badge.

The honour of becoming mascot came from outgoing Deputy Fire Chief Jason Nesbitt as a parting gift.

“He always wanted Casey to have a badge, it was a big thing for him and the fire service. It’s a really big deal to for firefighters to get their badge.”

“Jason really noticed a difference Casey was making. He decided before moving away he wanted to make sure he got a badge so that he is one of us and included in the service”

Hemingson says Casey isn’t just a therapy dog, he also helps teach fire safety to children.

In October during Fire Prevention Week, Casey participates by going to schools or attending when classes tour the fire hall. He demonstrates how to stop, drop, and roll, as well as how to crawl low under smoke during emergencies.

Photo courtesy Keeping Up with Casey Facebook.

Casey also helps firefighters around the Regional Fire Service deal with stress with a tail wag and smile.

You can follow Casey’s adventures on his social media by clicking here.