By Matthew Bowers
The Virginian-Pilot
NORFOLK, Va. — Lifesaving equipment comes in all shapes and sizes and now, for Norfolk Fire-Rescue, for more species.
Ten oxygen-mask kits designed for pets were distributed last week to stations across the city. The goal is to have one at every structure fire, said Capt. Mike Marsala, department spokesman.
The $70 kits, which include small, medium and large masks, were bought and donated by Animal Rescue of Tidewater through private donations. Margaret Fleet was one of the first contributors, and Wednesday she with her beagle-basset hound Buddy presented two kits to firefighters at Station 15 near her Bayview home.
“Because of my animals,” she explained. “They’re important, and I know the fire department didn’t have anything, and I figured this was a good program to do.”
Gary Brittingham, a Virginia Beach firefighter who coordinates getting the bags for Animal Rescue, said the program is popular. Donations piled up quickly to buy 80 of the kits for the Beach, and kept coming, he said.
“It costs the city nothing,” he said.
Marsala said that firefighters have tried to use oxygen masks made for humans. “It doesn’t cover a snout as well as it does ours,” he said.
“Many times we pull an animal out. And this is just another tool in our toolbox.”