Fire and EMS get doggy breath

by Alexandria Randolph

With help from an Austin based company, Marble Falls Fire Rescue and Marble Falls Area EMS will now have the equipment that makes it possible to give the doggy breath of life to endangered pets.

Sponsored by Invisible Fence, Marble Falls Fire Rescue will be participating in Project Breathe, an effort to provide pet friendly equipment kits to first response organizations.

“To most people, pets are like their children,” said Marble Falls Firefighter Ken Schwake “Our business is life safety. It doesn’t matter if it’s human life or animal life.”

Specially designed reusable pet resuscitation masks in three separate sizes were donated by Invisible Fence and will now be available on one fire engine and six EMS vehicles.

“These masks will be available in all of southern Burnet County,” Schwake said, and added that smoke inhalation is the leading cause of death for both pets and people during a fire.

The kit also includes an instruction manual and flow chart for pet care, a temporary leash to secure a pet, and a vehicle sticker to identify which vehicles have a kit on board. 

For the full story see Tuesday's Highlander.