Community Service Programs at Federal District Council is stronger than ever!

In September, Federal District opened their third Medical First Responder Unit with 120 volunteers, many of these are cross trained in Mental Health First Aid, enhancing their ability for crisis response on duty, during overdose and suicide behaviour, and many other incidents.

The Council operates a 30 team Therapy Dog program which is making exceptional efforts to keep up with a growing community demand. “Everyday there are requests for Therapy Dog services, and everyday I hear how thankful people are for these services”, reports Manager of Community Services and Learning, Jason Abramovitch.

Engaging the community in new ways is part of the innovative strategic plan and achieving this is the dynamic duo of MFRs and Therapy Dog teams. Ottawa officially began operating a Disaster Response and Recovery Unit, responding to disasters such as the tornados that touched down in Ottawa and Gatineau in 2018 and the flooding that devastated communities along the Ottawa River. In 2020, Federal District plans to launch the SJA Connect Youth Program to provide the young people of Ottawa the opportunity to engage with St. John Ambulance.