Fire Safety for Four-Legged Family Members

6/13/2018 (Permalink)

Boo, the SERVPRO of West Brown County office dog

We at SERVPRO of West Brown County consider our pets to be part of our families. We suspect most pet owners feel the same way. So, it’s important to consider your four-legged friends when planning for emergency situations. Top among those emergencies are house fires.

According to the United States Fire Administration, about 500,000 pets are affected by fires each year.

The Red Cross says the easiest and most important way you can protect your pets is by including them in your fire plans. That means practicing your escape routes with your pets and training them to come when you call.

As important as our furry friends are, however, you should NEVER waste time during a fire to go looking for your pets. Do NOT put your life or your families lives at risk.

Luckily, there is more you can do to ensure your pets’ safety. You can help firefighters find them by putting a pet alert cling in your front window with the accurate number and types of pets you have written on it. Your local fire department likely has these clings available.

You can also make sure to keep any crated pets close to the door to help firefighters find them right away. In addition, keeping leashes or carriers near the door can help too.

Aside from planning for your pets, the Red Cross says you should also make sure to keep your four-legged friends from STARTING fires.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, about 1,000 pets are responsible for starting house fires each year.

The Red Cross recommends you follow these steps to help prevent a similar situation in your home:

• Keep pets away from open flames like candles or fireplaces. Cats and dog tails can easily knock over lit candles.
• Invest in flameless candles or air fresheners.
• Take knobs off the stove when you’re out of the home.
• Block pets, particularly young pets, from any possible fire-starting materials with crates or baby gates.

We know how much you love your pets. So never underestimate how important it is to make family plans for emergencies and include the furballs in those plans.

And should fire damage ever strike your home, we are here to help you recover. You can call us, day or night, at 920-434-8224.