Farmington Hills Firefighters Save Dog with Special Equipment

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI – Firefighters were well equipped to perform revive a possible casualty in a Farmington Hills house fire Thursday.

A neighbor to a home on Northmont Drive who notified firefighters of smoke coming from the residence about 10:30 a.m. mentioned the family had a pet that was probably trapped in the house.

No one was home at the time, and sure enough, firefighters found the dog, which was revived with a special pet resuscitation mask the fire department routinely carries on its rescue vehicles.

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Lt. James Neufeld of the Farmington Hills Fire Department told Patch the mask, specially designed to fit a pet’s small head, has been used “numerous times.”

“A lot of times, the dogs or cats will run out on their own, which is helpful,” Neufeld said, “but sometimes it takes someone to tell us.”

“It’s always nice if you can save a life, regardless of whether it’s pet or human,” he said. “We like saving lives, and we have the equipment sith us to do that.”

The neighbor who called in the fire also heard alarms going off, providing an important reminder to residents to maintain working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors at all times, the fire department said.

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The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Damage was confined to the kitchen and dining room area and the family was temporarily displaced, Neufeld said.

Image credit: Farmington Hills Fire Marshal Jason Olszewski ventilates the rescued dog using a special pet resuscitation mask after crews removed the dog from the smoke filled home. (City of Farmington Hills photo)