Gift to firefighters helps pet owners breathe easier
- Original Norwalk Advocate article: Gift to firefighters helps pet owners breathe easier
STAMFORD - Before yesterday, firefighters relied on improvisation to rescue animals overcome by smoke, often making do with oxygen masks designed for humans.
That changed when the Stamford Fire & Rescue received a gift of 11 kits each containing conical masks specifically intended for snouts.
The Invisible Fence pet mask donation program has delivered 120 masks in Connecticut so far, according to Tracy Scarfi, marketing manager for the Canine Fence Co., maker of the Invisible Fence.
Scarfi arrived in the fire headquarters' lobby yesterday with 11 mask kits and her own corgi, Brenna, on a purple leash. Brenna scurried to greet firefighters and others in attendance, but she was less eager for the demonstration.
'You ready, baby?' Scarfi said as she popped a medium-sized mask over the fidgeting corgi's snout. The conical masks have an elastic rim that forms a seal around an animal's muzzle.
Each kit contains masks in three sizes.
'The small one could fit a hamster, although it would be interesting to see it happen,' she said. The largest size is intended to fit Dobermans, mastiffs and could be used on small barn animals.
In early February, firefighters responded to a fire at 11 William St. While no humans were injured, five dogs were trapped in the blaze. Firefighters managed to revive two of them, said Capt. Bill Avalos, a department spokesman.
Because animals trapped in a burning building often hide, firefighters find them using their thermal imaging cameras - the same equipment used to make sure a fire is completely extinguished, he said.
'Cats, they'll hide under the bed. Dogs will run. They don't know to get out,' Avalos said.
People frightened for their pets often want to risk their own safety to go after the animals.
The department plans to distribute the 11 kits among its first-response vehicles, so that at least one will be available during any fire, said Robert McGrath, the city's fire chief.
These kits augment the city's emergency response plan for pets, said William Callion, director of Public Safety, Health and Welfare.
Copyright © 2008 Norwalk Advocate, All Rights Reserved.
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