Denny
and Gabby Land with Fire Chief Scott Anderson, and
Firefighters Bill Beumer and Chris Baker. Bill also does
fire safety programs for the Maple Grove Fire Department and
Chris is a newly appointed Lieutenant at the Maple Grove
Fire Department.
We
met a couple other Fire Fighters while we were there too,
but didn't get their photos unfortunately. They were Mike
Paider and Tim Haider. Mike is an EMT and Tim is a full time
Fire Fighter in another city in the metropolitan area, as
well as a part time fire fighter in Maple Grove.
Before they attempted to use the masks, the Maple Grove Fire Fighters took a training
class from the
BART
organization (Basic Animal Rescue Training) to further
assist in learning how to help in their rescue of animals
and how to use the equipment. One of the firefighters even
mentioned that BART taught him how to hold a cat in a
stressful situation so as not to injure the cat or himself
while going through the rescue process.
Please check with your local Fire Department before
purchasing masks to see if they have masks already and if
they have had training on using them. Dr. Burger talks more
about that below.
Dr. Karina Burger, the Vice President of BART at the time of
this event, has given us
some information to help you understand what BART is all
about and how important it is to know how to use the
equipment before the masks or other equipment is given out.
Below is what she said.
"If a first responder is injured while using equipment, and
they were not trained on it, the department is liable. We
cover in our training what pressure to set the tank at and
what to do with an animal that resists the mask, etc. All
these details are important and some departments
(Minneapolis FD is a great example) would not allow the
equipment on the trucks till everyone had been trained.
Minneapolis now requires BART training for all their members
before their station placement".
"The state Fire/EMS leaders here have commented to us
several times how pleased they are that we do not give out
any equipment without training. Also I will say again that
we feel first responders need to be able to do a lot more
than oxygen to be effective at helping pets and keeping
themselves safe at the same time!"
"Our curriculum has been approved by MN Homeland Security
and Emergency Management and we have a lot of supporters -
we are endorsed by the MN Veterinary Medical Association,
and have letters of support from the MN Board of Veterinary
Medicine, University of MN College of Veterinary Medicine
and School of Public Health, USDA-Veterinary Services, MN
Departments of Health and Agriculture, MN Animal Control
Association, Veterinary Medical Assistance Team -5, and
the Minneapolis and Andover Fire departments. Both the MN
State Fire Chief's Association and the MN State Fire
Department Association have posted information on
our training on their websites, and we will
be giving presentations at the upcoming Citizen
Corps Conference in St. Paul in September 2007, the
Arrowhead Fire Departments Annual Convention in Chisolm in
September 2007, and then Mn State Fire Chief's Convention in
Rochester in October 2007".
You can learn more about BART and
make donations to them to
help fund their training and the cost of their kits on their
website.
Download a BART brochure here. Read about
BART stories.
All
of these people, Fire Fighters, EMT's, BART trainers, etc. deserve a great amount of respect for all they
do every day to help keep us safe. They are very hard
working individuals. It just goes to show that they
believe in what they do and are part of the American Spirit.
God Bless America!
Thank
you!
If
you can help, please volunteer your time as a Fire Fighter!
You never know what lives you may save. You could make the
difference! They are always looking for help!
For more
information on joining the Maple Grove Fire Department, or
to receive an application, call 763-494-6300 during business
hours.
