Family dog rescued by Savannah firefighters

Media Advisory

Savannah Fire and Emergency Services
121 East Oglethorpe Avenue, Savannah, Georgia 31401


Media Advisory Contact: Mark Keller
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Phone: 912-644-5957

Residents Displaced – Family Pet Rescued

SAVANNAH, GA (January 10, 2013) – Two mid-town Savannah residents were displaced from their home today after fire erupted in a back bedroom of the house.

Savannah firefighters were sent to 615 W. 40th St. about 12:10 p.m. when smoke was seen coming from the residence. Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames within a few minutes, limiting fire damage to the affected bedroom. The remainder of the one-story house sustained smoke and water damage. The residents were able to safely evacuate the residence prior to the firefighters’ arrival. SFES investigators say evidence at the scene points to the possible misuse of an extension cord as the probable cause of the fire.

Although there were no injuries during the incident, the family’s pet dog had succumbed to the smoke. Firefighters say the animal was unresponsive when they brought it out of the house but they were able to resuscitate it with the use of a pet oxygen mask. Each of the department’s primary response vehicles is equipped with the masks, which were donated to Savannah Fire & Emergency Services by the Greater Savannah Area Veterinary Medical Association (GSAVMA).

The deliberate design of the pet oxygen masks enables the equipment to be used on dogs, cats, ferrets and many other species. This is especially beneficial because the breathing apparatus firefighters use (SCBA) is not designed to fit the anatomy of animals and cannot be adapted for that use in an emergency without an extreme loss of effectiveness in delivering clear air to an animal. The special shape of the mask enabled firefighters to successfully care for the dog at the scene.

GSAVMA members donated the kits to the department last August. Each kit contains three different sizes of masks and tubing that can be attached to oxygen tanks carried on firefighting vehicles.

NEWS STORY 

http://www.wtoc.com/story/20545658/firefighters-rescue-dog-in-midtown-house-fire

Reposting story here below

Posted: Jan 09, 2013 3:31 PM EST
Updated: Jan 09, 2013 4:33 PM EST

SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC)
Three Savannah residents are out of their Midtown home Wednesday after a fire erupted in a back bedroom of their house.

Firefighters responded at about 12:10 p.m. to a home on West 40th Street.

They put out the flames within a few minutes. The fire was contained to a back bedroom, but the rest of the house sustained smoke and water damage, according to Savannah Fire and Emergency Services.

Two people inside home escaped before firefighters arrived. Firefighters found the family's dog unresponsive in the home after it had succumbed to smoke. They resuscitated it using a pet oxygen mask, which are on primary response vehicles and were donated last August to SFES by the Greater Savannah Area Veterinary Medical Association.

The kits have three different sizes of masks to accommodate different size animals and tubing that can be attached to oxygen tanks carried on firefighting vehicles.

SFES investigators said evidence points to the possible misuse of an extension cord that may have caused the fire, according to SFES.

Volunteers with the Chatham County Red Cross Disaster Action Team provided food, temporary shelter and clothing (including seasonal garments, such as coats, etc) and prescription medications to the family.

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