BRONSON, MI (WTVB) – Animals rescued from structural fires by the Bronson Fire Department will now have a much higher chance of survival thanks to a specialized equipment donation.
Bronson resident Victoria Ruthrauff, alongside her Silken Windhound, Sita, presented a brand-new pet oxygen mask kit to the department during a training session.
Unlike human emergency masks, these devices feature varying sizes of plastic cones and rubber gaskets designed to create a tight seal around an animal’s muzzle.
The masks hook directly into the department’s standard medical oxygen tanks, allowing crews to immediately resuscitate unconscious or smoke-addled pets right outside a burning building.
According to Bronson Fire Chief Scott Wilber, the kit adds a vital tool for saving family companions, which often hide rather than flee during a fire emergency.
While dogs and cats are the most common rescue targets, Wilber says that the department has previously saved everything from rabbits and ferrets to an iguana.
Fire officials also used the announcement to remind the public, particularly children, to never re-enter a burning house to rescue a pet. Instead, residents should get out safely and let equipped first responders execute the search.
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