Fire station receives new animal rescue gear

Carrie Cornils, right, shows Mountain Home Fire Marshal Brian Reed how to use the new oxygen masks by testing one on his dog, Sage. Photo by Brian S. Orban

The Mountain Home Fire Department received new equipment this week that will make it easier to save the lives of people's pets during building fires.

After nearly a year of planning, the department received three sets of oxygen recovery masks designed specifically for dogs and cats overcome by smoke inhalation.

Connected to a standard sized oxygen tank, the masks are simply slipped over the nose and mouth of these animals, allowing the purified gas to enter their lungs.

Providing oxygen to stricken animals is critical to saving their lives, according to Carrie Cornils, a spokesperson with Invisible Fence, which manufactures the pet-specific rescue gear.

During a demonstration on Monday, she slipped one of the masks over Sage -- a 12-week-old Beagle owned by city fire marshal Brian Reed. While the puppy tended to squirm as the mask was applied, it's something that normally doesn't happen in an actual fire since heavy smoke will render animals unconscious.

People go to great lengths to save their animals during an emergency, said city fire chief Alan Bermensolo. It's because owners form strong, emotional attachments to their dogs and cats, often referring them as their children.

In fact, people will do everything they can to get everyone out of their home during a fire, including their pets, Bermensolo added.

People will lose their homes and all of their personal belongings in a fire, but the last thing they ever want to lose are their furry companions, Cornils said. But what normally happens during a fire is pets will run and hide because they're afraid.

Rescuing animals is nothing new for city firefighters. In January 2013, for example, crews here pulled three cats from a burning structure.

In the past, firefighters resorted to using oxygen masks designed for people to save pets. They've also used mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to resuscitate dogs and cats, Reed said.

Rescuing an animal is no different than pulling an adult or child out of danger, Bermensolo said. The goal is to get them out of danger and into a safe environment before administering oxygen.

Once the animal regains consciousness, the goal is to take them to a veterinarian as quickly as possible. The masks are then cleaned and ready to use again.

This week's presentation was held in conjunction with Project Breathe, a national effort headed by the Invisible Fence Foundation to get these kits into the hands of emergency responders.

With its regional office based out of Eagle, the company has supplied these kits to emergency responders across the Treasure Valley with Baker City and surrounding communities receiving them last year. They're looking at getting them into the hands of crews in McCall and Cascade in coming weeks.

The Mountain Home Fire Department received three of the kits with each one going into separate rescue vehicles. At least two of them will be on hand during any emergency, the fire chief said.