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N O L A.C O M
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W e d n e s d ay, Au g u s t 20, 2025
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For firefighters in stress, help begins with four legs and a cold nose Crisis response dog Captain Billy is trained to sense turmoil BY ROBERT S. WOLF
Contributing writer
With four legs, two floppy ears and shiny golden hair, Captain Billy is not your typical New Orleans Fire Department officer. You won’t find him driving the ladder truck or handling hoses, but this 2-year-old golden retriever is the department’s first crisis response dog with a mission to help first responders deal with the immense stress that comes from handling the worst tragedies a big city can offer. Captain Billy was donated to the NOFD by Thin Line Service Dogs, a nonprofit from West Virginia that raises service dogs for military and first responders, and he officially
“He can detect signs and symptoms of acute stress. He has an intricate way of sensing when something isn’t right, and he can cue on things like rubbing your hands, bouncing your leg, or if someone is sobbing, he will visit that person.”
chaplain, said Captain Billy gives the stress management team a powerful assistant to help improve mental health care for the entire department. “He can detect signs and symptoms of acute stress,” said Holder, who worked for 18 years as a firefighter and EMS technician in Illinois. “He has an intricate way of sensing when something isn’t right, and he can cue on things like rubbing your hands, bouncing your leg, or if someone is sobbing, he will visit that person.” When Captain Billy detects stress in someone, he gets their attention with gentle gestures like nudging
THE REV. JOSHUA HOLDER, NOFD chaplain
became part of the Fire Department several weeks ago with a “Passing of the Leash” ceremony. The Rev. Joshua Holder, NOFD
STAFF PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER
Shannon DeLavallade, a mental health coordinator with the New Orleans Fire Department, hangs out with Captain Billy at Fire ä See STRESS, page 2G Station 29 in the French Quarter.
WRIT LARGE
Remembering Katrina Metrowide events recall the crisis and recovery, and look to the future
The events of Aug. 29, 2005, and their aftereffects are seared into our collective memory. To mark the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, events both unusual and traditional are beginning in mid-August and continuing into September. From screenings and concerts to book readings and second lines, metro-area residents will gather to remember and reflect. Here are some events that will take place during August. For city of New Orleans events, see katrina20.nola.gov.
STAFF PHOTOS BY BRETT DUKE
Brian Tran, 4, signs a pledge — with a really big pencil — during the inaugural Kindergarten Commitment Signing Day at Lake Forest Charter School in New Orleans.
Bailey Bickham, 5, holds up his signed commitment pledge at Lake Forest Charter. High school and colleges have commitment signing events for athletes, so why can’t a kindergarten have a signing day for its newest scholars? Lake Forest Charter School in New Orleans recently did just that, welcoming young ones and their families into the community. Students committed to academic excellence, modeling scholarly behavior and pursuing high-quality learning.
Whitney Myers takes a picture of her daughter Gaia Myers, 5, and her new friend Bailee Bean, 5, during the inaugural signing day.
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“SURVIVING KATRINA: THE HOPE, HEALING AND REBIRTH OF NEW ORLEANS”: Artist Ted Ellis will showcase a series of paintings highlighting stories of survival, healing and renewal at the Tate, Etienne & Prevost Center, 5909 St. Claude Ave. in New Orleans, through Nov. 7. www.tepcenter. org. CITYWIDE DAY OF SERVICE: The event on Aug. 23, 8:30-10:30 a.m., at the Oliver Bush Playground, 2500 Fats Domino Ave. in New Orleans, kicks off a week of activities and public service initiatives. There will be a cleanup at the playground. Registration opens at 8 a.m. GUIDED LEVEE BREACH TOUR: On Aug. 23, 9-10:30 a.m., Levees.org founder Sandy Rosenthal will lead a tour of the Levee Exhibit Hall and Flooded House Museum, 5000 Warrington Drive in New Orleans, site of the London Avenue Canal breach, the site of one of the worst levee failures during Katrina. levees.org. WORSHIP SERVICE: The Salvation Army of Greater New Orleans will hold a worship service on Aug. 24, 11 a.m.-noon, at its Center of Worship & Service, 4526 S. Claiborne Ave., to honor Maj. Richard Brittle, a Salvation Army minister who died after he stayed behind to help people evacuate during Katrina. southernusa.salvationarmy.org. “HOPE IN HIGH WATER: A PEOPLE’S RECOVERY TWENTY YEARS AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA”: A new documentary from Pulitzer Prize- and Emmy Award-winning journalist Trymaine Lee will be screened Aug. 24, 5-8 p.m., at the Ashe Cultural Arts Center, 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. in New Orleans. The film finds Lee returning to New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where he first reported on Hurricane Katrina as part of The TimesPicayune newsroom, and traces the arc of recovery through the voices of those who never left. CLIMATE FORUM: A two-day event featuring panels, conversations and community culture sessions will explore various elements of climate migration will be held Aug. 25-26 at the Mahalia Jackson Theater in Louis Armstrong Park, 1419 Basin St. in New Orleans. Topics include the science and ecological impacts of climate change, the impacts of displacement on culture
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