VIDEO: The Birmingport Fire Department said cardiac arrest is the number one killer of firefighters. Firefighters said stress on the mind and body is a big contributor to deadly cardiac events. To help lower this stress among first responders, the Birmingport Fire Department has brought a new member on board. โItโs hard to imagine him not being around, and itโs only been a few months that Iโve had him,โ Birmingport Fire Chief Wade Holley said. Epi, short for Epinephrin, is a 6-month-old Boston Terrier who has already brought lots of smiles to Birmingportโs firefighters. Holley adopted Epi, and heโs quickly become the emotional support dog of the fire station. โHeโs really become a tool for stress relief in the department,โ Holley said. โYou have a bad call, youโre having a bad day, all you have to do is come to the station and sit down on the recliner, and Epiโs going to curl up next to you and lick you to death, and that just makes your day go better.โ
