Lifesaving pet oxygen masks carried on all Essex fire engines

All fire engines in Essex now carry Smokey Paws pet-friendly oxygen masks.

The oxygen masks, bought from a non-profit organisation called Smokey Paws, are specifically designed to provide essential care to pets at the scene of a house fire.

The masks are made in a variety of sizes to fit all animals that people commonly keep in the UK. Unlike the human masks, the animal masks have a conical shape to fit over the snout.

The animal masks not only fit better but give 85-90% oxygen compared to human masks which would only give the animal about 10-15% of the oxygen.

Operational Group Trainer, Paul Jones said: “Over half of the UK’s population have at least one animal, and as a fire and rescue service we rescue animals to prevent others from risking their life to do so.

“Firefighters attend a wide range of incidents and providing oxygen to animals through a makeshift system is nothing new. However, the introduction of the Smokey Paws equipment allows us to upskill crews to provide evidence-based trauma care and give a better service to our communities.

“Having these masks on every fire engine in Essex will make a big difference.

“We’d like to thank the British Animal Rescue Trauma Care Association for supplying us with the training.”