WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — January and February are the most dangerous months of the year for house fires. When crews respond they not only treat humans for smoke inhalation but animals and it's now a little easier for one Middle Tennessee fire department to treat animals thanks to a recent donation.
Wilson County Emergency Management Agency received 36 animal oxygen masks this week to place in all fire trucks. The department was running low on supplies and some were outdated.
The "Wilson County Disaster Animal Response Team (DART)" held a fundraiser to raise enough money in order to buy and donate the masks to the department.
"We provided 12 sets of 3 different size oxygen masks for animals that suffer smoke inhalation in a fire. The animals often don't have time to be evacuated or if they are evacuated they're suffering from smoke inhalation," DART coordinator Julie Hutchinson said.
Hutchinson has volunteered to rescue animals since Hurricane Katrina. She said during the winter, house fires increase and crews never know who or what they may need to treat with smoke inhalation.
"And sometimes when people lose everything all they have left is their animals so we have to take every measure to keep them safe too," she said.
Because the risk of house fires increases in cold weather, officials want to remind people to make sure you have working smoke alarms in your home.
