Pet Fire Safety Tips For Owners
Fire safety should be a top priority for pet parents. Looking into fire drills is important, because every member of the family should know the right procedures to be used in case of an emergency. Following these procedures ensures that everyone can safely escape without injury. This also includes our pets! It all comes down to prevention, planning, and practice to maximize pet fire safety.
Fire Safety Tips: Prevention
- Secure your house with smoke detectors! Smoke alarms save lives.
- Make sure your dogs are tagged with their up-to-date information. If an emergency arises and your pet gets lost, it’ll be easy to locate them if they have proper ID tags or even a microchip.
- Open flames should be extinguished as soon as they're not needed. Pets are generally curious and will check your appliances, candles and even your fireplace. Remove your stove knobs or protect them with a cover before leaving the house; blow out your candles before leaving the house or use flameless candles instead; and secure your wires and cords from your pets as they might chew on them and cause an electrical fire.
- Make sure your dog’s home is clear of flammable material. More often than not, it's the first place that your dog will run to in case of a crisis.
Safety Procedures
- Emergency evacuation maps are usually on every floor in a building. This map serves as an escape plan in case of an emergency. Households don’t usually have emergency evacuation maps but you still need an escape plan if ever you’re facing a crisis.
- If you have relatives or roommates, assign specific tasks or roles in the event of a fire. Someone should be on dog duty while the others should take care of securing important kits and carriers.
- Practicing a fire drill raises your chances of getting out of the house uninjured. This is where you could practice leaving your fire exit open and calling your pet out of the house. Doing this more will allow your pet to be familiar with the scenario.
- There should always be a bag full of necessities, such as a first-aid kit for you and your furry friends!
Help Firefighters Help Your Pets
- Having your pet's official "corner" near the entrance of the house will make exiting easier.
- Attach an updated number of pets on your front window. This information saves firefighters time when locating your pets.