Highland Beach firefighter/paramedic Kristi Kemper and Sparky demonstrate some of the town’s pet rescue equipment. Photo provided
By Arden Moore
When you see or hear the words, “firefighters” and “dogs,” you may conjure an image of a happy Dalmatian inside a fire station.
But the sad reality is that each year, more than 40,000 dogs, cats and other household pets become injured or die in house fires across the country.
And here’s another scary stat: Pets cause more than 1,000 house fires annually, according to the National Fire Protection Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association.
July 15 is national Pet Fire Safety Day. In Palm Beach County, local fire departments are doing their part to rescue pets in house fires. Many rescuers have their own pets.
“One of the biggest problems we encounter with house fires is that pets inside get scared and may be hard to find with the fire and smoke,” says Boca Raton Fire Rescue Lt. Karl Richards. “A big issue with house fires is smoke inhalation. It does not take a lot to be overcome by the carbon monoxide in the smoke. The more smoke pets inhale, the more lethal it becomes.”
Adds Tyeisha Knight, community resilience manager for the Delray Beach Fire Rescue Department: “In a house fire, frightened pets are likely to hide in places where they feel safe and protected. Common hiding spots include under beds, inside closets, behind furniture or in cabinets or other small, enclosed spaces. This can make it difficult for family members and firefighters to locate them quickly during an emergency.”
Highland Beach Fire Rescue Chief Glenn Joseph urges residents to not only have smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers inside their homes, but to test them regularly. Consider doing this twice a year, say when you need to change your clocks in the spring and the fall.
He adds that the most common culprits are kitchen fires, space heaters tipped over, forgetting to clean chimney flues, plus electrical cord shorts.
“A dog or a cat can bump or paw a stovetop knob and accidentally turn it on. That can lead to a fire,” says Joseph. “Or a cat can paw or a dog’s tail can knock over a lit candle and start a fire quickly.”
During a house fire, quickly escape and alert firefighters about what pets are in the home and where they tend to hide.
“Tell the responder that your dog usually hides under a table or under the bed or in the closet when scared,” says Joseph.
To reduce pet-caused house fires, local firefighters recommend that you:
• Have a family escape plan and practice evacuating the entire family, including the pets.
• Keep leashes and pet carriers close to an exit so you can use them to get your frightened pets out quickly.
• Consider using flameless or LED candles in the home instead of flame-burning ones.
• If possible, condition your dog or cat to the piercing sounds of a smoke detector. Reward them with treats when they come to you or go into a safe spot such as in the bathroom or in an open pet crate upon hearing the noise.
• Install child-safety covers on stove knobs or remove the knobs when you’re not actively cooking.
• Secure electrical cords with covers to keep pets from checking the cords and causing sparks or fires.
Knight, who has been with Delray Beach Fire Rescue for four years, shares her home with Bella, her 8-year-old pit bull.
“To help keep Bella safe while we are home, she has been trained to stay out of the kitchen,” she says. “When we are away from home, Bella stays in her own room with a safety gate in place.”
Make sure all your pets sport identification tags bearing your name and cellphone number so that your pets can be more easily reunited with you should they dart out during a house fire.
Consider placing stickers on windows that indicate the type and number of pets you have in your home to alert firefighters.
In Highland Beach and many other municipalities in Florida, residents can place household information such as pet descriptions in a secure portal called Community Connect that can be quickly accessed by first responders during an emergency. Consult your city or town for more details on how to register.
“If we get an emergency call to your address, that information immediately goes to the first responders heading to the scene,” says Joseph. “This is a great and safe program.”
Final good news: More fire departments are equipping their trucks with various sized pet oxygen masks and ensuring their staffs complete pet first aid/CPR classes.
Arden Moore is an author, pet podcast show host and master certified pet first aid instructor. Check out petfirstaid4u.com and ardenmoore.com.
Learn more
National Pet Fire Safety Day is July 15 and is sponsored by the American Kennel Club and ADT Security. To learn more, visit akcreunite.org/firesafety and adt.com/pet-safety.
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