The Animals: Respect and Friendship (ARF!) Fund took the lead from a family in Chester and decided to help get a special piece of equipment in the hands of every fire department in Middlesex County. The ARF! Fund Committee set a goal in the fall of 2017 to raise awareness about the dangers of smoke inhalation to our “furry” friends and to equip our local fire departments with the tools necessary to rescue anyone and any animal they may come across in a fire.

The ARF! Fund Committee has purchased a special oxygen mask kit which is designed to fit over the snouts and muzzles of our four-footed friends of all sizes. The Wag’n O2 Fur Life kit comes with masks in three sizes, tubing to attach to traditional oxygen tanks, training materials, and emergency responder documents.

The ARF! Fund Committee purchased a kit for every physical fire station in Middlesex County – all thirty (34) of them! Yet the Committee’s goals didn’t stop there. While a kit at every station is great, wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a kit on every truck?

The idea is simple and easy to make happen. Working together through the ARF! Fund at the Community Foundation or independently, the Committee believes individuals and businesses can work together to provide at least one pet oxygen mask kit for each truck at fire stations across the county. This would ensure that our local fire departments have the essential equipment to respond to every emergency – human or animal – that may arise at the scene of a fire.

Interested in helping your four-legged friend? Please call us at 860-347-0025…Oh, and “WOOF!” (Thanks!)

Check back often to see which fire department is next to receive its surprise presentation! (are you a Middlesex County fire department … not in the gallery below? give us a call – we can’t wait to visit!)