On Wednesday, August 29, at approximately 4:30pm EARS received a dispatch for assistance from Stratford EMS & Fire Department to a large apartment complex fire on the border of Stratford and Bridgeport. The complex had 30 units and was pet friendly, so when first responders arrived on scene were made aware of residents who had evacuated with their animals, as well as some pet that that were still inside the building. Fire department members made great efforts to pull animals from the building, which included several cats and a few dogs, and while that was going on the dispatch for EARS assistance was broadcast and our team had individuals enroute within minutes.
A number of pets were rescued by the fire department, and about seven were transported for evaluation at VCA Shoreline Veterinary Referral & Emergency Center located in Shelton, in addition to over a dozen that remained on scene with owners. Our team arrived and went in to operation less than 30 minutes after the first dispatch call was received, and focused on two primary areas - providing on-site assessment and triage if needed, and making sure owners had pet items or resources for their animal needs. We distributed a number of leashes for owners who had to leave quickly with their dogs, and provided water and portable bowls for a number of pets as well. EARS cleared the scene at approximately 6:45pm.
The temperature and humidity made this a particularly dangerous situation, which called for the response of multiple towns and resources to support the firefighters on scene. Departments as far away as Shelton and Milford were called in for support, and town buses were brought to the location to provide a cooled space for residents and first responders to get out of the heat. In addition to the emergency departments, both Animal Controls from Stratford and Bridgeport were on scene for the duration of the situation and assisted with animals involved. As is our Standard Operating Practices, with Animal Control on scene when we arrived we worked directly with them to support their needs while also communicating and working with the departments that called us. It was a great team effort by everyone involved, and the situation ran smoothly.
Presently the investigation in to the cause of the fire is ongoing, and the structure is still unable to be occupied. We are keeping watch of the resources for residents and will be offering animal assistance for those who need it. Stay tuned for more information!
A number of pets were rescued by the fire department, and about seven were transported for evaluation at VCA Shoreline Veterinary Referral & Emergency Center located in Shelton, in addition to over a dozen that remained on scene with owners. Our team arrived and went in to operation less than 30 minutes after the first dispatch call was received, and focused on two primary areas - providing on-site assessment and triage if needed, and making sure owners had pet items or resources for their animal needs. We distributed a number of leashes for owners who had to leave quickly with their dogs, and provided water and portable bowls for a number of pets as well. EARS cleared the scene at approximately 6:45pm.
The temperature and humidity made this a particularly dangerous situation, which called for the response of multiple towns and resources to support the firefighters on scene. Departments as far away as Shelton and Milford were called in for support, and town buses were brought to the location to provide a cooled space for residents and first responders to get out of the heat. In addition to the emergency departments, both Animal Controls from Stratford and Bridgeport were on scene for the duration of the situation and assisted with animals involved. As is our Standard Operating Practices, with Animal Control on scene when we arrived we worked directly with them to support their needs while also communicating and working with the departments that called us. It was a great team effort by everyone involved, and the situation ran smoothly.
Presently the investigation in to the cause of the fire is ongoing, and the structure is still unable to be occupied. We are keeping watch of the resources for residents and will be offering animal assistance for those who need it. Stay tuned for more information!
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