r/Firefighting • u/sejuuu • 6d ago
Ask A Firefighter Pet Safety Device for Home Fire?
Hi all! I’m a student designing a product for protecting pets in case of a home fire while nobody is around. I have an idea, but would be grateful to get input from the experts!
The product is a smart pet kennel opener/closer linked to an app, but thinking of possibly extending it to doors to give it a more general use. The idea is that if a fire breaks out while people are out, you could open the kennel if it’s in the area affected by fire, or close it to prevent your pet from running into a dangerous area. I read that closing all doors can slow the spread of a fire, so perhaps the ability to remotely control doors while out could help?
Also curious about the protocol for rescuing pets during a fire and general pet safety: - How do FFs approach house fires when pets are inside? - In terms of fire safety, is it better to keep pets in a kennel/confined space or let them roam free? - How big is the risk of the kennel being in an affected area? How does that compare to the risk of a pet running and hiding in a tight spot like under a bed? - Can FFs reach those small spaces like under a bed? - Any experiences rescuing pets in a house fire?
Any insight would be greatly appreciated and thank you for your hard work and bravery🫶🏻
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u/LewDawg417 6d ago
You get my truck we’re getting those pets, animals are just a smidge below people on our priority list. I don’t have any great idea for you for your product, but maybe making it easier for us to locate pets?
5
u/Firemedic9368 6d ago
Cats tend to hide, dogs tend to try and run. At my department, pets are searched for during a primary search, but, if the pet isn’t found then we are not going to waste a lot of manpower looking for it. It doesn’t matter where a kennel is located in a house, it is going to be affected if there is a fire because most of the time heat and fire are not what kills pets and people, it’s smoke inhalation. We will usually search under a bed using a tool as kids tend to hide in spaces as well. I’ve rescued a few dogs, a few cats, and a turtle from fires and usually the only time they do not make it is if they hide.
3
u/HazMatsMan Career Co. Officer 6d ago
- In terms of fire safety, is it better to keep pets in a kennel/confined space or let them roam free?
In the kennel where they can be found quickly. Letting them out would end with them hiding somewhere they can't be found and rescued, meaning they end up dying of smoke inhalation.
0
u/Agreeable_Ad_9987 6d ago
Eh, not necessarily. I’ve had a handful of dogs and even a couple cats that have launched out the front door when I open it to go do fire attack. Really depends on the animal and the environment in the house.
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u/HazMatsMan Career Co. Officer 6d ago
that have launched out the front door
Yep, had that too, and watched them be hit by cars.
-5
u/Agreeable_Ad_9987 6d ago
If your dog escapes a house fire only to be hit by a car…it’s that animals time.
3
u/HazMatsMan Career Co. Officer 6d ago
At this point you're just being contrarian, so whatever. I have better things to do tonight than nitpick hypothetical fire situations to win an internet argument.
2
u/Strict-Canary-4175 5d ago
I absolutely commend you for trying to help animals! I’m a big dog person. To the point it could be concerning.
That being said, being in a crate is one of the safest places a dog can be in a fire. It’s MUCH easier for me to go find the dog if you can say “the dog is in a crate in the bedroom to the top of the steps to the right” vs “there’s a dog in the house”
1
u/Birks0909 3d ago
I live in a 2 story house and my dogs stay downstairs (baby gate blocking the stairs). I have a lawn sign that says “please save my pets in case of house fire”. I’ve been thinking about getting one of those flashing dog lights that you hang on the spot where they usually hang out so FF can find them easy. Any input?
4
u/Agreeable_Ad_9987 6d ago
To answer your questions:
-We know people have pets, we have pets ourselves. We do our best to get them out as soon as possible.
-Best care depends on the pet and the environment. If they are trapped in a kennel, try to keep the door shut to the room, in case of a fire in another part of the house, that’s their best chance. See the close before you doze campaign for how much fire a closed door can hold back.
-FF’s will get under the bed. But a scared animal is nimble unless it is overcome with smoke. If I can catch your cat while in my gear, it’s likely because kitty isn’t moving at their normal speed.
-I’ve rescued and recovered animals. I tend to see animals have poor outcomes when they are trapped in the room of origin for the fire. If there’s a way out, animals seem to be better at finding their way out than humans.
You might want to look into doggie door products that have similar technologies:
I have 2 dogs that roam my house without a kennel and have a doggie door. If there was a fire there’s not a doubt in my mind they could find their way out.
1
u/Slight_Can5120 6d ago
What you’re proposing would be a very expensive system of remote controlled doors. The problem sues being, loose pets are at risk, and opening doors in a big ring building just intensifies the fire.
Money would be better spent on improving fire safety in the home. Centrally-monitored smoke/fire detectors, simple sign in a front window indicating where pets are.
And of course, the ultimate solution is a fire sprinkler system. Easy for new construction. Maybe you could focus your effort on a sprinkler system that can be retrofitted to an existing home without having to open up a lot of walls & ceilings.
3
u/OneSplendidFellow 6d ago
Guardian Fire Shield. 7 lb dry chems in ceiling. Look like smoke alarms but heat activated like sprinklers.
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u/Slight_Can5120 6d ago
Cool. I see a definite use in specific areas—laundry, furnace room, garage, shop.
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u/OneSplendidFellow 6d ago
Yeah, they look useful and a lot cheaper than trying to retrofit sprinklers. They have US dealers now, too.
5
u/user47079 6d ago
Pets tend to do well if the fire is pre-flashover. They are often located in the best spot of the environment, near the floor. When the smoke/CO banks too low or the room flashes over, nothing is surviving without protection.
For your idea, I think the struggle would be getting them outside and still contained. If this was a kennel on an outside wall, and opened to a penned in area outside when the smoke alarm went off, it may be viable. Couple this with a monitored smoke alarm system to call the fire department early, and the pet has a real chance of survival. Calling the department early ensures the best chance that they get there and control the fire before it gets out of hand and kills the pet outside.