FORT COLLINS, Colo. Dementia Together is proud to announce the successful completion of dementia education for the Poudre Fire Authority (PFA), equipping first responders with tools to recognize and compassionately respond to individuals living with dementia. Over the course of several weeks, Dementia Together provided 12 separate SPECAL® Method trainings to ensure every firefighter—across each station and shift—could participate.
“This dementia education has been resoundingly helpful for our firefighters to respond to dementia-related calls,” said Chris Hewitt, EMS Coordinator for Poudre Fire Authority.
The SPECAL® Method provides a simple, practical, yet counterintuitive framework to improve understanding and communication for people living with dementia. Dementia Together is the only organization in the United States accredited to provide this evidence-based training.
Feedback from firefighters following the sessions highlighted the program’s immediate impact:
- “The ‘join-the-club’ concept really seems like a helpful way to redirect people in distress with dementia.”
- “I feel much more confident in interacting with a person living with dementia.”
In post-training evaluations, 100% of PFA respondents reported feeling more confident in responding to dementia-related calls and said they gained helpful insights to interact more effectively with people living with dementia. The most common words participants used to describe the training were “helpful” and “informative.”
“The commitment among leadership and front-line personnel to learning these strategies ensures safety and dignity during what can otherwise be frightening situations. We’re honored to partner with Poudre Fire Authority in leading this culture of compassionate response.” said Cyndy Luzinski, Executive Director of Dementia Together.
Dementia Together extends special thanks to The Gallery at Fort Collins for their generosity in financially sponsoring the First Responder Training initiative. Their support made it possible for this vital education to be accessible to all members of the Poudre Fire Authority and other agencies, strengthening community-wide understanding and compassion for those living with dementia. “We’re honored to support Dementia Together in providing this important training for our community’s first responders,” said Deedra Moats, Executive Director at The Gallery at Fort Collins. “First responders play such a crucial role in moments of crisis and helping them better understand dementia ensures that every call is met with patience, respect, and empathy. We’re proud to be part of an initiative that strengthens both awareness and compassion across our community.”
Dementia Together continues to expand first responder education across Northern Colorado, following similar partnerships with Loveland Fire Rescue Authority, Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, and Thompson Valley EMS. The nonprofit’s mission is to create communities in which no one has to walk the dementia journey alone, offering education, enrichment, and hope at no charge to families and first responders.
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About Dementia Together
Dementia Together is a nonprofit organization providing education, enrichment, and hope to those living with dementia, their care partners, and families at no charge, ensuring cost is never a barrier to support and connection. Through the SPECAL® Method, Memory Cafés, and support groups for care partners, Dementia Together makes living well with dementia the expectation, not the exception.
Learn more at www.DementiaTogether.org.