1st Responder Broadcast Network is the definitive source of local news for the Emergency Service Community portal and Resource for Firefighting, Fire, Rescue, EMS and Safety.

Clinton, NJ – The Clinton First Aid & Rescue Squad (CFARS) recently received a donation of specially designed pet oxygen masks from Canine Company. They were given four complete sets and each set consists of three different size masks, enabling rescuers to resuscitate pets rescued during house fires.

Deputy Chief Bucky Buchanan reached out to Canine Company after learning about their “Canine Saves” campaign, an endeavor to get these life-saving masks into the hands of first responders in communities where the company's clients live.

“Masks similar to these were recently used on a house fire and helped as part of the team effort to save a dog and two cats in Raritan Township," stated Chief Frank Setnicky of Clinton’s Rescue Squad. The volunteers and staff of CFARS trained with the new masks prior to placing them into service on three ambulances, the REHAB units and the Heavy Rescue Truck.

Statistics show that when fire strikes a home, family pets are at they greatest risk because they don’t know that they should leave the house. Instead, they often hide and suffer severe smoke inhalation. An estimated 40,000 family pets die each year from smoke inhalation in house fires. These specially designed cone-shaped masks fit over the pet's snout and then simply connect to the standard oxygen tanks already carried by rescue crews.

To help rescuers know there are pets in a home, Canine Company is offering free "Pets Inside" window decals to families in the CFARS service area. To request your decal, go to https://www.canincecompany.com/topic/petdecal.aspx.

"Our company was founded by a family of pet lovers and our mission is to help other families keep their pets healthy, safe and happy, " said Renee Coughlin of Canine Company. "We do that with the services we offer and it’s the focus of our charitable programs too." Last year, Canine Company donated more than 120 sets of masks to first responders across the Northeast, including 44 New Jersey fire departments and EMS Squads.

CFARS provides pre-hospital Emergency Medical Services and Rescue Services to the Town of Clinton, Clinton Twp. and Lebanon Borough, as well as portions of Franklin Twp. and Union Twp.

Canine Company’s sales area covers New Jersey, New York and New England. If your organization falls within these states and you want to add theses pet oxygen masks to your rescue equipment, visit http://www.caninecompany.com or call 800-818-3647.