Harris County First Responders Receive Pet Oxygen Masks

SPRING, TX — Four first responder agencies in northwest Harris County received pet oxygen mask kits on Tuesday. Invisible Fence of Greater Houston donated 50 oxygen mask kits to the Spring Fire Department, Cypress Creek EMS, Tomball Fire Department and Northwest Community Health during a ceremony at Spring Fire Station 71.

Spring Deputy Fire Chief Joel Crenshaw said the Spring Fire Department has been using donated masks and has saved several pets suffering from smoke inhalation.

"This donation today will allow to have these kits with three different sized masks on all of or fire engines," he said. "This is a serious upgrade to help us save pets, as well as people."

The oxygen and masks and kits were awarded through Invisible Fence's Project Breathe, a program that was launched 13 years ago.

Nine pet oxygen masks were awarded to the Spring Fire Department’s nine stations, and Cypress Creek EMS received 30 pet oxygen mask kits to outfit each of the paramedic vehicles.

Tomball Fire Department received 3 pet oxygen mask kits for their 3 fire stations, and 7 pet oxygen mask kits went to outfit each of Northwest Community Health’s EMS units.

"Project Breath...has done over 24,000 donations, and the most recent count we have is 201 pets have been saved since we started this in 2006," said Adam Reece, a trainer with Invisible Fence.

It is estimated that between 40,000 to 150,000 pets die each year in residential fires, but the pet oxygen mask and kits can make a difference, and will help resuscitate a dog or cat found in a burning home.

In the past firefighters and EMS personnel have used other equipment or even tried adapting human oxygen masks to fit an animal, but human masks don't fit properly over the nose of dogs and cats and thus do not provide a necessary supply of oxygen.

The plastic, cup-shaped animal resuscitation masks, which come in three sizes, were originally developed for use by veterinarians. They seal around the muzzle of an animal tighter than a human mask. This helps firefighters and medics deliver the right amount of oxygen to the pet to help save their lives.

"Pets are important to our families and losing one in a fire can be...very devastating...," Crenshaw said. "Objects can be replaced by our furry family members cannot."

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