Critical Incidents

CRITICAL INCIDENT RESPONSE

If this is an emergency please call 911

Always contact 911 by making a voice phone call, if you can.

Remember that in most areas you can not reach 911 by sending a text message.

  • If you are an organization responding to a critical incident 

NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines can support your response, relief, recovery and preparedness efforts with certified crisis response canine teams.

All inquiries are confidential.

(971) 217-9966 Call or text us with a brief message about your needs and the best way to contact you.

 

Safety  To ensure the safety of the individuals you serve, both the canine 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.

Only certified canine teams are deployed and each team is insured.

All NATIONAL personnel have criminal background histories cleared through an extensive and ongoing Level 3 screening by Sterling Verified Volunteers.

To respect the privacy and safety of the individuals you serve, NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines does not post information or photos of our deployments to social media.

Please understand we can not respond to media requests for interviews during critical incidents.

 

Methodologies  At NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines, we provide Psychological First Aid, developed by SAMSHA and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN); peer support critical incident stress management, developed by the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF); and suicide prevention and intervention developed by ASIST and ICISF.

Crisis response canine teams trained by the National Organization for Victims Assistance (NOVA) are available in some areas.

 

FEMA  For disasters and mass casualty incidents, NATIONAL operations and responses are compliant with ICS (FEMA Incident Command System -Unified Command).

All personnel are trained to respond with common language and within the command structure, and only when authorized in writing by delegated command authority.

Please understand NATIONAL personnel can not respond without written authorization.

 

 

  • If you are an individual harmed by crisis, trauma or disaster, you are not alone.

Please call 211.  The 211 hotline is an easy-to-remember number that connects you to the people and agencies in your own community that know how to help you quickly get the help you need.

The 211 hotline is available in all 50 states plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico.

Calling 211 is especially helpful for the elderly, the disabled, active military and veterans, those who do not speak English, those with a personal crisis, those with limited reading skills, and those who are new to their communities.

You can find out more about the help available at the 211 hotline by calling them 24/7 or visiting their website: www.211.org

Please understand that NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines can not respond to requests by an individual. To provide you with as much help as possible, we coordinate all of our responses through agencies in your community, including the 211 hotline.

 

 

  • If you are seeking veterinary assistance

Please understand that NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines can not respond to requests for veterinarian services or help with paying emergency vet bills.

If you think your pet may have eaten something poisonous, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888) 426-4435.

A $95 consultation fee may be applied to your credit card.

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for any animal poison-related emergency,

While we do not have contact information for veterinary services, we can suggest that you reach out to the animal shelters and dog rescue groups in your area for connecting to the help your dog needs.

 

 

  • If you are seeking help for animals impacted by disaster

Please understand that while NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines can not respond to requests to help animals in disaster areas, there are local agencies that can.

We recommend calling the disaster hotline number for a list of your local agencies responding to the needs of animals in the disaster area.

These agencies may assist you with finding temporary shelter for your pet, evacuation shelters with pet facilities, reunification with lost pets after the storm and more.

The disaster hotline number is published by your local Emergency Management and can be found in media and social media posts for your area.

The FEMA website offers great tips on how to prepare your pets for disasters so everyone can return safely home after the storm.

 

crisis

Things we can do in crisis response


  • If you are an organization responding to crisis 

Crisis and tragedy are experienced in isolation, fear and hopelessness. How the crisis response canine team transforms that experience to one of shared support, strength, growth and recovery is as individual as the person we serve.

  • For the homeless teen, the canine team is there to connect him with your caring staff at a cold weather shelter.

 

  • For the elderly woman beaten and shamed by her abuser, the canine team is there to offer support without judgement as your domestic violence counselor helps her form a safe escape plan.

 

  • For the family standing in the cold night watching as their house burns, the canine team provides for their emotional safety as your Red Cross volunteers warm them with blankets and provide information and vouchers for temporary housing.

 

  • For the overwhelmed veteran unable to manage her bills and facing eviction, the canine team offers a safe haven while your veteran services staff coordinate housing and other services for her.

 

  • For the firefighters struggling with the suicide of one of their own, the crisis response canine is there in the house to offer your company the quiet, calm support that strengthens their bonds to one another.

 

What you can expect  To ensure the safety of the individuals you serve, both the canine handler and the canine are specifically trained for working with the intense emotions and psychologically complex behaviors of people in crisis.

  • Only certified canine teams are deployed and each team is insured.

 

  • All NATIONAL personnel have criminal background histories cleared through an extensive and ongoing Level 3 screening by Sterling Verified Volunteers.

To respect the privacy and safety of the individuals you serve, NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines does not post information or photos of our deployments to social media.

Please understand we can not respond to media requests for interviews during critical incidents.

 

Crisis methodologies   At NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines, we provide Psychological First Aid, developed by SAMSHA and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN); peer support critical incident stress management, developed by the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF); and suicide prevention and intervention developed by ASIST and ICISF.

Crisis response canine teams trained by the National Organization for Victims Assistance (NOVA) are available in some areas.

 

Universally human  NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines is committed to helping when someone is hurting, regardless of their religion, ethnicity, gender, gender status, political or legal status, nationality, or any other aspect that makes us unique yet universally human.

 

 

 

trauma

Things we can do in trauma response

 

  • If you are an organization responding to trauma 

The people you serve are the people we serve   Trauma and tragedy are experienced in isolation, fear and hopelessness.

How the crisis response canine team transforms that experience to one of shared support, strength, growth and recovery is as individual as the person we serve.

  • For the child abducted and abused by a non-custodial parent, the canine team is there to assist federal agents as he’s returned safely to the United States.

 

  • For the high school student protected from a hail of bullets by his teacher, the crisis response canine offers the wordless protection needed when there are no words to describe the terror and horror.

 

  • For the active military soldier sexually assaulted on duty, the canine team offers a safe haven while your Sexual Assault Response team works to coordinate medical, psychological, legal and other services for the soldier.

 

  • For the coworkers who witnessed the traumatic death of one of their colleagues in a workplace incident, the canine teams are there to assist your trauma counselors as they create a safe place for the colleagues to debrief the incident, connect with one another, learn about coping skills for themselves, as well as how to handle the public scrutiny and media attention.

 

What you can expect   To ensure the safety of the individuals you serve, both the canine handler and the canine are specifically trained for working with the intense emotions and psychologically complex behaviors of people in crisis.

  • Only certified canine teams are deployed and each team is insured and credentialed.
  • All NATIONAL personnel have criminal background histories cleared through an extensive and ongoing Level 3 screening by Sterling Verified Volunteers.

To respect the privacy and safety of the individuals you serve, NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines does not post information or photos of our deployments to social media.

Please understand we can not respond to media requests for interviews during critical incidents.

 

Trauma methodologies   At NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines, we provide Psychological First Aid, developed by SAMSHA and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN).

PsySTART, a rapid mental health triage strategy, is used to rapidly assess individuals and connect them with the critical care services they need.

 

Advanced response   NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines also provides canine teams trained in peer support critical incident stress management, developed by the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF); and suicide prevention and intervention developed by ASIST and ICISF.

Crisis response canine teams trained by the National Organization for Victims Assistance (NOVA) are available in some areas.

 

Mass casualty  For mass casualty trauma, NATIONAL operations and responses are compliant with the FEMA Incident Command System (ICS -Unified Command). All personnel are trained to respond with common language and within the command structure, and are deployed only when authorized in writing by delegated command authority.

Please understand NATIONAL personnel can not respond without written authorization.

 

Universally human   NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines is committed to helping when someone is hurting, regardless of their religion, ethnicity, gender, gender status, political or legal status, nationality, or any other aspect that makes us unique yet universally human.

disaster

Things we can do in disaster response


  • If you are an organization responding to disaster 

The people you serve are the people we serve   Disaster and tragedy are experienced in isolation, fear and hopelessness. How the crisis response canine team transforms that experience to one of shared support, strength, growth and recovery is as individual as the person we serve.

  • For the child, the family, the neighborhood forced from their homes when natural disasters strike without warning, crisis response canine teams provide a psychological safe haven for them while your community disaster relief volunteers warm them with blankets, and provide them with food and other necessities in the immediate aftermath.

 

  • For those with critical medical conditions who must be prepared to shelter in a special needs shelter as a hurricane bears down on their community, crisis response canine teams lighten the burden on your medical shelter staff by assisting with basic needs and listening with compassion as the residents talk about their fears.

 

  • For the crew of the train that derailed while carrying toxic chlorine gas, and the surrounding communities that must be quickly evacuated to safety, crisis response canine teams deployed to evacuation sites can mitigate the pervasive anxiety and promote social calm while people wait for information from the EOC and ESF desks.

 

  • For the professional and volunteer responders who staff the EOC, shelters, PODs and multi-agency resource centers, the crisis response canines provide them with much needed respite and moments of normalcy during their long days, nights and weeks of listening to the survivors’ stories and providing for their needs.

 

What you can expect   To ensure the safety of the individuals you serve, both the canine 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 disaster areas.

  • Only certified canine teams are deployed and each team is insured and credentialed.
  • All NATIONAL personnel have criminal background histories cleared through an extensive and ongoing Level 3 screening by Sterling Verified Volunteers.

To respect the privacy and safety of the individuals you serve, NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines does not post information or photos of our deployments to social media.

Please understand we can not respond to media requests for interviews during critical incidents.

 

Disaster Methodologies At NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines, we provide Psychological First Aid, developed by SAMSHA and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN); peer support critical incident stress management, developed by the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF); and suicide prevention and intervention developed by ASIST and ICISF.

Crisis response canine teams trained by the National Organization for Victims Assistance (NOVA) are available in some areas.

 

Disaster and mass casualty  For disasters, NATIONAL operations and responses are compliant with the FEMA Incident Command System (ICS -Unified Command). All personnel are trained to respond with common language and within the command structure, and are deployed only when authorized in writing by delegated command authority.

Please understand NATIONAL personnel can not respond without written authorization.

 

Universally human   NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines is committed to helping when someone is hurting, regardless of their religion, ethnicity, gender, gender status, political or legal status, nationality, or any other aspect that makes us unique yet universally human.