Area firefighters learn how to rescue animals

Hurricane Katrina left more than 250,000 pets — from dogs and cats to goldfish and birds — stranded from the storm’s destruction. Experts called it the largest animal rescue operation in history. Thousands of pets died and thousands of people refused to evacuate without the furry-faced members of their families.

In light of how unprepared first responders were to deal with a mass amount of animal rescues, several groups have teamed together in Minnesota to protect our pets and large animals — and human life in the process.

Basic Animal Rescue Training — or BART — began its quest to equip and train first responders in December 2004. Since then, it has shown more than 1,500 police officers, firefighters and community emergency teams how to deal with animals in distress.

BART came to the Hutchinson Fire Department station this week to train local first responders in large and small animal rescue.

“Because of Katrina, (animal rescue) is now part of the city’s emergency plan,” said Mike Craig, Hutchinson Fire Department training officer.

About 35 members of the volunteer fire department and representatives of Heart of Minnesota were at the training sessions, which lasted three hours. Firefighters learned how to assess animal patients, apply First Aid, conduct CPR and how to handle and restrain large animals.

BART Vice President Karina Burger was one of the instructors.

“About 60 percent of homes have pets,” Burger said. “More homes have pets than children and many people say their animals are members of the family.”

For every department BART trains, it also give an animal crash kit to first responders to use in small animal emergencies. BART also has a large animal kit available for purchase for $600.

Through the training, firefighters learned where to check for a pulse and a heartbeat on small animals. For example, a dog’s pulse can be felt by the upper, inside hind leg and its heartbeat can be felt just under its left, front elbow. First responders were also taught to give animals mouth-to-nose CPR, not mouth-to-mouth.

Craig said the training was very valuable to the department and hopes it will prevent loss of animal life in the future.

“We’ve already had instances where we’ve had fires and we’ve had to deal with animals being trapped, and unfortunately we haven’t always been able to save them,” Craig said. “Those of us who have pets, (the training) was a real obvious benefit right off the bat.”

For the full story, check out the Thursday, July 19 print edition of the Leader.

(Lesley Christianson is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader.)
christianson@hutchinsonleader.com