Florida Hospital DeLand presented DeLand Police and Fire Departments 500 teddy bears as part of the Recovery Rascals program. Emergency workers use the bears to help comfort children involved in rescue or medical incidents. Over the years, the bears have become standard equipment on many emergency response vehicles.
“These Recovery Rascals will be used anytime an officer responds to an incident where a child is involved. The bears assist officers with the difficult task of ‘breaking the ice’ with frightened children at emergency scenes,” said DeLand Police Department Victim Advocate Coordinator Sharron Blais.
The Fire Department will use the bears in much the same way, according to DeLand Fire Department Division Commander Fred Link.
“Our goal is to calm the children and these bears help take the children’s minds off of the accident or medical situation,” said Link.
The hospital has been donating bears to emergency responders since 2001.
“It’s unfortunate when children are involved in an emergency situation and it is our pleasure to assist the first responders in calming and comforting them,” said Florida Hospital DeLand President and CEO Daryl Tol.
The Recovery Rascals program is only one of several community service projects that is supported by all three organizations.