This.
Minn. Firefighters Save Cat From Tree
Jan. 14–When a little girl’s cat became trapped in a tall tree in St. Paul for days in the frigid cold, strangers worked together to help save the pet.
Lisa Andrews heard about Foxy’s plight on a neighborhood Facebook page and stepped into action. She didn’t know the family involved, but she loves cats (she has four of her own) and could imagine how heartbroken her 12-year-old daughter would be in that situation. She also wanted to help a fellow East Sider.
After Foxy’s family couldn’t find assistance anywhere else, Andrews went to Fire Station 7, rang the buzzer and asked the firefighters if they could bring their ladder truck.
Ironically, I was talking about this very subject the other day with a firefighter at a department I work with. I thought his comment on this was pretty funny, but I admittedly have a warped sense of humor.
I’ve never seen a cat skeleton in a tree or on a roof. They always seem to come down when they are hungry enough.
More seriously,
Another stranger had tried to help — a man from a neighborhood Facebook group had brought a 30-foot ladder, but it wasn’t tall enough. Guinn had an animal control officer come out and they contacted at least 10 tree trimmers, though none could help. They also had called to ask if a police officer or a firefighter could come out, and were told they could not, Guinn said.
I’ll dispense with the silly “waste of taxpayer money” argument because taxpayer money is wasted on silly thing all the time. Note that the day before Christmas, I saw a police car escorting a pick up truck that was towing Santa and his sleigh. Lights and sirens no less.
The bigger issue is that a tree that is 30 feet or taller is not something to be climbed without preparation. A fall of that distance has a good likelihood of serious injury or death. I’d be more upset if a firefighter (or anyone) was injured trying to get a cat out of a tree.
Or a drone for that matter, because you know that’s coming sooner rather than later.
A more serious EMS post will follow tomorrow.
Most of the departments I’ve worked with over the last fifteen years will, with a quiet pro forma grumble, go rescue most any animal… for one of two reasons:
1) It’s a great PR move. In an era of shrinking budgets and tightening belts, people will remember “hey, those nice firemen came out and saved little Susie’s cat from the tree/got Spot off the frozen pond” – and be less likely to oppose budgets.
2) Doing it properly, with the right equipment, is a hell of a lot safer than having Joe SixPack climb to the top of his 30-foot ladder, then climb into and up the tree another 15 feet, and then either fall or get stuck … turning it into a legitimate life-threatening emergency. (Note that this is January in Minnesota – even with the right clothes, you can’t be out there long.)
And, in some departments, this is a great training opportunity for newer operators – learning to place a truck for access, set pads, maneuver the aerial, etc – without the time constraints of a fire, and without the textbook flat paved surface of a training facility.