According to statistics, more than 40,000 pets died in home fires last year in the United States. In an effort to save the family pets of our borough residents in the event of such a tragedy, Lodi Fire Department Chief Greg Telep, with the assistance of Sherri Ciarocco of the Lodi Fire Prevention Bureau, will be receiving a donation of pet-sized oxygen masks from Companion Animal Advocates, a volunteer organization located in Hillsdale, New Jersey.
As pets are more vulnerable to smoke inhalation than humans and because human oxygen masks don’t fit properly over an animals’ nose, the Companion Animal Advocate organization teamed up with Pets America and began donating the pet oxygen masks to area fire departments.
On December 28, 2010, at the Lodi Fire Department’s monthly meeting, Chief Telep’s last order of business as fire chief will be to meet with Christine McIndoe, Director of Marketing for the CAA and her father, Alastair McIndoe, a member of the Maywood Fire Department, to graciously accept this donation on behalf of the Borough of Lodi and the Lodi Fire Department.