July 15, 2015

Practice Fire Safety with Your Pet

Many of us consider our pets to be part of the family – their safety and well-being is of course important to us. But, sometimes, we may forget to include our pets in some of our most important family activities. Do you practice fire safety with your pet?

A few basic steps can help secure a fire emergency plan that includes four-legged family members. Consider these simple tips:

• Familiarize yourself with your pet’s favourite hiding places in the house; this might be where he will run to during an emergency.
• Keep a leash or carrier close to the entrance so that you can easily find and use this when removing your pet from the house during an emergency.
• Ensure your pet’s ID tag and microchip are up to date in case he becomes frightened by the fire or fire trucks and runs away.
• Keep an up-to-date In Case of Emergency sticker that lists the number and kinds of pets living in your house – keep this by your entrance to alert emergency-response officers of the furry family members who may need rescuing. (These are available at the OHS.)
• Assign a family member to be responsible for each pet during an emergency.
• Practice your fire emergency plan with your pet! Go through the steps of where you will find your pet, secure him on a leash or in a carrier, and practice exiting the house safely with him.
• Think ahead: In the case of a fire, where will your family go? Will your pet be able to go with you, or will you need to arrange a safe place for him to stay?
• Pet-proof your house – ensure your pet cannot access open flames or anything that could start a fire.
• Supervise your pet – keep his curious nature out of the kitchen or other places where there are fire risks. When you’re away from home, make sure your pet is in a safe, secure place in the house.