Our furry, four-legged friends can put their paws together for an improvement in pet safety during emergency situations announced by the Calgary Fire Department yesterday.
The CPR/Pet 02 initiative complements the current Protective Services Pet Safety Program, and ensures that all Calgary firefighters are trained in Pet CPR and oxygen-delivery protocols. Every fire truck and rescue boat will also be equipped with a set of three oxygen masks of different sizes to allow use on various sizes of animals.
“We’re now properly prepared to deliver quality care to household pets,” said Garth Rabel of the Calgary Fire Department.
Flint the fire dog also attended the kick-off, waiting semi-patiently for his treats after showing how his long snout fit perfectly into the oxygen mask.
It’s estimated there are 95,000 dog owners and 90,000 cat owners in Calgary, and approximately 50 per cent of Calgarians own pets.
Since these creatures are becoming more important in people’s lives, including to the 57 per cent that celebrate their pets’ birthdays, Dennis Rabel, training officer with the Calgary Fire Department, said when the humans are safe, their next focus will be on the fluffier members of the family.
Start-up costs were only around $10,000.
