Colorado Springs Fire Department introduces new animal kits to help rescue pets
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)- An effort is underway to get more kits to help rescue pets from fires in Colorado Springs.
They're called SED kits inspired by a retired Colorado Springs firefighter, Steven Dubay who loved animals.
Although the kits are small, they make all the difference in a life-and-death situation. Mini oxygen masks help firefighters save many furry friends during emergency calls.
According to firefighters from the Colorado Springs Fire Department, animals are often times victims of fires.
When a house or an apartment is on fire the immediate priority is to rescue the humans, but once all that is done if there is an animal inside the firefighters go in and help get these animals to safety.
Steve Welch is the Deputy Chief of Operations. Welch said the same way people inhale smoke, so do animals, and that ultimately cripples their lungs in a fire.
"Well, from personal experience, I can tell you that the animals that we have rescued that have been incapacitated by the smoke will put that mask on them. And it takes several minutes, but we can usually see a positive effect within 3 to 5 minutes," said Welch.
The new SED kits were donated to the Colorado Springs Fire Department thanks to grants from the West Side Animal Hospital and the Fire Foundation of Colorado Springs. The goal is to get at least 25 to 30 SED kits in each unit.
