Protecting Your Pets in a Fire Emergency

10/13/2021 (Permalink)

It is crucial to maintain pets safe in a fire emergency in your Bountiful, UT home.

There are countless articles on the web about keeping your family safe during a fire emergency, but few address what family entails. Family is more than moms and dads, brothers and sisters. The family also includes all the furry, feathery, and scaly friends that people call pets.

Pets are integral components of nearly every family unit, and as such, it is crucial that you make a plan to keep them safe. The local fire department or a fire disaster company in Bountiful, UT, can help you come up with a plan to keep your animals safe.

Fire Emergency Preparation for Furry Friends

Pet preparation is all about knowing the potential threats and hazards a fire presents and designing escapes and notifications accordingly. Your animals will not understand fire escape routes, and they cannot make rational decisions to get to safety in a real emergency.

While some animals can be trained to obey commands in some situations, it is best to design your home and your pets' routine around basic fire safety protocols. There are at least three ways to keep your pets safe when a fire occurs.

1. Keep Pets Near Entrances

The number one rule for pet safety involving house fires is always to keep your pets near entrances when you are away from home. Suppose you crate your dog while at work; put the crate near the front or back door. If your cat has a favorite cat tree, put it in the front room and close all bedroom doors, keeping its interest in the front of the house. The same goes with birds or other caged animals; keep them safe by placing their habitats near an entrance.

2. Keep Leashes Near Doors

A firefighter cannot be expected to keep a panicked animal under control while removing them from your house, especially to carry them from the premises without any guide or assistance. When you own dogs or cats, place leashes near the entrances of the home. Having leashes or even a kennel near the house entrance will make it easier for a firefighter to remove your pet safely, limiting the risk of injury to the animal or themselves.

3. Affix Pet Alert Stickers on Windows

It has become commonplace to have stickers indicating how many pets or family members you have in your home in recent years. If you feel comfortable doing so, it is helpful to emergency services if you affix an animal alert sticker on your windows.

Pet alert stickers tell firefighters the number of pets you have and what kind they are. Having all the information they need about the number of people and pets helps firefighters ensure they get everyone to safety. It also means that they do not prematurely call off a search and rescue.

A fire emergency is a time of panic and confusion. Do not wait until a disaster strikes to formulate a plan for the safety and rescue of your pets. When there is no chaos, take the time to make appropriate, straightforward plans, including kennel and cage placement and notification stickers.