Cat Calls

[JGallagher]

I was just wonderiing!!! Have you or has you department had to respond to a cat in a tree call? Just like on TV!!

[Red_Devil]

we dont do those kinda calls, let the thing be, the cat got up there on its own....when it wants down bad enough it will come down on its own! no if ands or buts!

[Leafs Fan]

As a rule we do not do cat calls, our dispatchers tell people they will get down on their own, you don't often see a cat's skeleton in a tree. But there are exceptions I can recall getting an eguana off a fourth storey roof once. The one cat call that sticks out in my mind we went too because the elderly couple said their cat was on the roof and if we didn't come they were going to try and get it down themselves. So my truck went to get the thing down. we get there and find a three storey house and kitty is up there. We extend the aerial ladder up to the roof and i am sent up to get it, by this time a crowd has gathered, when the cat sees me it jumps right off the roof. It's true cats do land on their feet. A lot of screaming from the crowd during the cat's flight.
Along the same note. Another crew was sent to get a pigeon wrapped in fishing line off an office building again about 4 storeys, the firefighter that went up easily captured the bird and began unraveling the line from it's wings, again a big crowd gathered, when the FF was finished unwrapping the bird he decided to let it fly free and just tossed it off the roof. It dropped like a stone.:eek: again a lot of screaming from the crowd.:o

[bfrd22]

Yes we done this once or twice,

About 14 yrs ago a FF on another dept in the area was seriously hurt. Cat up a power pole on a cross beam. Ladder was to short so the dept sat it on the hose bed to reach, FF climbed up and just as he crabed the cat it scrambled from him and jumped across 2 of the lines,
FF fell to the hose bed and broke his shoulder and several ribs, Electircal burns and the cat had fused to his to the arm of his coat.

[Michael13]

my sugesstion to get any animal out of a tree? a .22 calibre single shot. they will never go up again. hahaha im terrible.

PS I hate cats, but I dont shoot them.

[firefighter9calt]

Michael13 that suggestion was made by one of our officers at the one cat call we've had. Didn,t go over well. We get a few skydivers stuck in and on things.

[bcfire]

THE ONLY CAT WE'VE HAD WAS IN A SEWER PIPE. WE WENT DOWN THE MANHOLES AND GOT HIM TO COME TO US. STINKY, BUT ALIVE.
TAKE CARE, BCFIRE

[FireEMTGuy]

Calls such as ducklings in sewers, dogs down construction sewage pipes etc etc....

I have never been on one myself but in Edmontonchuck they have responded to a few of these type of calls and it leads to nothing but good publicity in the media. With better fire prevention and less fires the fire service only benifits from these types of calls.

The old cat in the tree one however is kind of a story book thing and as stated earlier, they got themselves up there, they can get themselves down.

In regards to the cat on the cross beam of a utility pole, I would have left that up to the power company! :eek:

[bestcoast]

I disagree. Good publicity or not, you don't tie up a piece of apparatus to get a bloody cat out of a tree. At least we don't on out here......Cheers...

[LFD_FF17]

hey FireEMTGuy its Edmonton not Edmontonchuck people here don't make fun of vermillion so i would appreciate it if you did not take shots at Edmonton.

[FireEMTGuy]

Firefighterkid, its called a sense of humor. :D :D :rolleyes:

FYI, I grew up and have lived in Edmonton and the area for over 21 years.... what made you think I am from vermilion?

Also again, make a post relivant to the topic rather than simply posting to whine about someone elses comment, more gets acomplished in the end that way, i understand where you were comming from but really everyone, or most, are here to have a good time, arn't we?....

Bestcoast, cat in tree, no, not a good enough reason to call out the FD.

Puppy stuck in plumbing? If a rescue and a few guys are available then why not...

[Red_Devil]

nice point emt, make your point in your reply dont whine!!!

[ThFyrWthn]

Meeeeeoooowww.... LOL! I thought that was purely a TV thing...

I'd laugh my butt off if I saw that!

em hem... no disrespect or anything... snicker

[five_alarm]

A dog named Riley got to ride on a city fire truck yesterday - and he's not even a Dalmatian - after being plucked from the icy water of a west Edmonton pond. Riley's owner, Rose Storrier, was relieved to get her beloved Sheltie back safe and sound after the dramatic rescue. It is estimated the dog spent up to 45 minutes struggling in the cold water.

"They did a wonderful, wonderful job," said Storrier.

"I was pretty stressed. He's sort of our little world. We don't have children." A vet who cared for Riley later said the pooch's tail-wagging days could've been over had he been there longer.

The Edmonton Sun (http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/EdmontonSun/News/2004/10/21/678743.html)

[FireEMTGuy]

Yep, I just posted that in the news section...

Good job EFD!

[Whitewater_419]

We don't do those calls, either -
1) We're a volunteer dept, so it'd annoy the living daylights out of employers to find that they let guys go to answer a call only to discover it's a cat in a tree

2) as someone else said, why tie up men/women and apparatus to get an animal out of a tree that should have known better.

Besides, I've seen cats come out of trees when they got tired of being 'stuck' and they'll jump a pretty amazing distance without getting hurt.

Then again, given the people in our village, you'd probably find a decent neighbour who'd haul their own ladder out to get the thing down :)

[LFD_FF17]

Sorry guys I didnt mean to sound like a whiner I just love Edmonton because it is the greatest city in the world and I stick up for it when people take cheap shots. It wont happen again.

[Whitewater_419]

Originally posted by firefighterkid
[snip]Edmonton because it is the greatest city in the world [snip]

Thems sound like fightin' words, boy!

(grin)

:)

[TiSme]

Well,

I don't know if the department has done and cat calls. But last year we did do a cow rescue.

Yes I said cow ........ many people said that was the funniest thing they had seen in a while. Had a lot of people watching.

You really find out how inventive a team can be when you have to rescue something that heavy out of mud up to thier belly.

:D

[Whitewater_419]

Originally posted by TiSme
Well,

I don't know if the department has done and cat calls. But last year we did do a cow rescue.

Yes I said cow ........ many people said that was the funniest thing they had seen in a while. Had a lot of people watching.

You really find out how inventive a team can be when you have to rescue something that heavy out of mud up to thier belly.

:D

Aw, come on, you can't post a teaser like that without the details :)

So how DID you get the poor beastie out of the mud ?

[TiSme]

Walked out into a watering hole (slew) that had been receding. Once it got deep enough to have a drink it stopped. The weight caused it to slowwly sink (like stanging in a deep mudhole with boots on) When it tried tomove again the efort just caused it to sink deeper. That's the best that we can tell. A resident from a near by house called it in because the cow was bleeting (mooing etc) like crazy and was not able to move.

The mud created a suction around the legs of the cow we couldn't just haul her straight out either. Took 6 guy's (very muddy :D ), 4 lengths of 65, a tractor, couple 38's with nozzles, and a pump to get her out in the end. The 65's where used as slings around the cow and attached to the front bucket of the tractor. The 38's where used to flow water into the mud around teh cows legs to loosen the muds hold and reduce the suction created by pulling the cows leg from the mud.

One of the guy's recorded it so we could show the rest of the members during one of our training nights.

[Whitewater_419]

Daaayum, that *is* creative :)

[Buckster]

We got called for a cat on a hydro pole a few years ago....told dispatch to ask caller if they ever saw a cat skeleton on a pole or in a tree

[BCFFFV]

I was called to a house where a dog was stuck under an old ladies bed. Is that close enough?

[Scuba]

We've never done the Cat in a tree - but we did ice water rescue for a hurd of cows a long time ago......

Well,

I don't know if the department has done and cat calls. But last year we did do a cow rescue.

Yes I said cow ........ many people said that was the funniest thing they had seen in a while. Had a lot of people watching.

You really find out how inventive a team can be when you have to rescue something that heavy out of mud up to thier belly.

:D

[Whitewater_419]

We've never done the Cat in a tree - but we did ice water rescue for a hurd of cows a long time ago......
Now that's another one that deserves a call of "Details, please!" :)

[Scuba]

Might I add it's before my time - but it's a frequently told story.

Nothing too exciting in the call itself.....Just the average day of chasing cows off a melting river......in 2 feet of slush.... They only lost one cow. I think the total I heard was 16 that were out there.

[DFCSmash]

Okay. we did a variation of a cat in tree rescue a number of years ago. Cat climbed up a weeping birch tree. Got out in the little branches where it couldn't move. Owner made a decision to rescue his cat, so he climbed up the tree until he got into the branches too small to support his weight. Still about 20' from the cat. Here's where we came in. Cat in tree, cat owner in tree, both frozen with fear. 23:00 hrs.

We commandeered a Hydro bucket truck, went up and got the owner safely out of the tree. Then went back up for kitty. The firefighter who grabbed the cat got royally clawed as a reward for "rescuing" the cat. :D

So there's my "cat in tree" call!

[iamvff]

We got called to a cat stuck in a sistern once...got there and they said it jumped out and ran away :rolleyes: :confused:

iamvff

[Toxic]

We've never done the cat in the tree thing. Anyone remember Police Academy where Tackleberry gets the kittie out of tree? Who needs a ladder if you have a .44 magnum.

I like how so many guys have rescued cattle and not cats. Put food in front of firefighters and... LOL

[MFDFF33]

With the amount of people that have cats in our area, I'm honestly surprised we've never gotten a cat call. But the chief would probably be like waste of time, it got itself up there and it can get itself down.

[mfdff10]

LOL, yeah.... that is true 33.

[firefighter316]

about 4 years ago. Couldn't reach it with our ladder..but we could with the turret gun. :-) rustled the branches around it and down it came

[shaneb]

I was just wonderiing!!! Have you or has you department had to respond to a cat in a tree call? Just like on TV!!


We have had two cat calls since I joined amost 4 yrs ago. Our boss thinks it is great PR. Once the cat was sitting atop a transformer, the municipality was afraid it would get cooked and knock out the hydro to the mine. We have Linesman in our hall so he went up and tossed the cat down to us into a blaket. Not very heroic but the kids in the neighbourhood thought it was great!

[five_alarm]

BROCKVILLE, ON - We've all heard of a cat in a tree. But a blow-dryer in a toilet?
Brockville firefighters responded to a Cowan Avenue residence for that bizarre call for help at 7:38 p.m. Wednesday.
The department retrieved the sunken appliance and cleared the scene within 20 minutes.

No word on what became of the hair style.

Source: newsfeed.recorder.ca (http://newsfeed.recorder.ca/cgi-bin/LiveIQue.acgi$rec=14079)

[firefighter26]

Well, I have had actually been on the climbing end of three cat in tree calls.

We don't get toned out for them, but rather dispatch will call the chief or duty officer and it is up to them to decide if they want to go get the cat or not.

One we didn't really have a choice as it was a cat up in a tree on the FD property, so it would have looked bad to let it sit there and meow all week (it was already up there for a few days before dispatch started getting calls about it as it was really loud!)

Apart from that it is usually great publicity. A crowd almost always gathers and everyone claps when you bring the fur ball down the ladder; and the kids like seeing the fire engine as it is.

The last one I did, last spring, the little old lady was telling me after I came down with her cat that she had spent a few days looking on the internet for ways to get her cat out and every website she found said to call the local fire department!!!!

On a side note, I have been looking for one of those balsawood dinosaur skeleton models so I can paint it WHITE and put it up in the tree in front of my house........ ;)

[FLASHOVER05]

Cats Suck anyways....
Now has anyone ever responded to a mountain Lion up a tree??? LOL

[dentedhead]

Cats Suck anyways....
Now has anyone ever responded to a mountain Lion up a tree??? LOL

I agree cats suck huge.

I hope for any kind of lion up a tree or down a hole. I am going to school P/T to be a lion tamer.The only other job that may be as good as FF.


Dentedhead

[4vradiance]

Hi. This isn't really a response to the post, but have you ever read the children's book "Pickles the FireCat"? That was one of my favourite stories growing up and reading your post made me laugh as I remembered the book.

Hugs. Stay safe.

4vradiance.

[DCCHam]

Here's a little video showing how they get bear's out of trees. http://www.putfile.com/media.php?n=Bear25

[shaneb]

Here's a little video showing how they get bear's out of trees. http://www.putfile.com/media.php?n=Bear25


That is one funny clip! The bear really got some good air on that bounce!

[FLASHOVER05]

That Poor Bear...

[fireman-911]

That's funny!

[dentedhead]

This sucks it wont open for me.I hate not being in on the jokeLOL!

Dentedhead

[FFWannabe]

This sucks it wont open for me.I hate not being in on the jokeLOL!

Dentedhead

s'okay.. it won't open for me either... lol...

Sue :)

[iamvff]

Me either, and it froze my pc :mad:

iamvff

[dentedhead]

Me either, and it froze my pc :mad:

iamvff


mine too, I swore!

Dentedhead

[FFWannabe]

mine too, I swore!

Dentedhead

Why don't you two crazy freezing computer swearing men meet me in chat!!! it's too freaking hot to sleep here, even with the A/C!

Sue :)

[Forest]

Michael13 that suggestion was made by one of our officers at the one cat call we've had. Didn,t go over well. We get a few skydivers stuck in and on things.


my second or third call was a skydiver got caught in a tree...ill see if i still have the photo and put it on here

[dave5171]

The best impression of a cat stuck in tree call I could think of is my Dad's dept. he got a call for bear stuck in tree. They responed to find Rookie MNR Officer on scene with a bear cub in a tree with momma bear dead on the road. MNR wanted to take the cub into custoty. So the orders were get the cub down from the MNR. The D.C. asked if she planned on tranilizing it first? The answer was no so the D.C. said none of his Firefighters were going up there to retrive the bear. My dad suggested spraying the bear down with a 1 1/2 but that didn't go over well the MNR officer. Finially with no compermises met the D.C. cleared the scene with bear still in tree. After everything was said a done we found out the Township billed the MNR for the call and the Rookie MNR Officer was up a creek with out a paddle.

[FLASHOVER05]

After everything was said a done we found out the Township billed the MNR for the call and the Rookie MNR Officer was up a creek with out a paddle.


HA HA HA HA HA... That sucks royally, thanks for trying tho'
;)

[five_alarm]

CALGARY, AB - The fire department conducted an unusual rescue Monday, after a marabou stork escaped from the zoo and landed on an island in the Bow River. Barbie's keeper, Mona Keith, said the bird's tendons have been cut and she isn't supposed to be able to fly. But sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning the African stork flew the coop and landed on the other side of her fence.

"Trapped dogs, cats in trees, rare birds on islands _ anytime people aren't sure who to call for help, we're the ones they call,'' said fire department spokesman John Conley." It was our second bird call of the day. We rescued a duck (Monday) morning that had gotten itself into an unsafe situation.''

Source: calgary.cbc.ca (http://calgary.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=ca-free-bird20050712)

[FFKelly23]

No, we don't get any calls about cats in trees... or ducklings in drains!

[five_alarm]

DARTMOUTH, NS - The animal Dartmouth firefighters rescued Wednesday wasn't your typical cat in a tree. It was a 360-kilogram Atlantic leatherback turtle.

"We were looking for a brush fire on McNabs Island," said Capt. Steve Auton, one of four firefighters who was aboard the Halifax regional fire service's harbour rescue boat. "But we didn't see any smoke."

The boat was circling the island when the firefighters spotted something at about 1:50 p.m. off the southern tip."We saw up ahead of us what we thought was a dead seal . . . so we kind of nosed up to it and slowed down, and when we came up alongside of it, here it was a turtle," said Capt. Auton.

"I had never seen a sea turtle before....

Source: herald.ns.ca (http://www.herald.ns.ca/stories/2005/08/04/f199.raw.html) , cbc.ca (http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/08/04/halifax-turtle050804.html)

[five_alarm]

INTERNATIONAL - Toasty kitty cashed in at least one of its nine lives recently when it climbed a power pole, got zapped and fell 40 feet to the ground. The incident set the pole on fire and, after firefighters put out the vertical blaze, they found the smouldering kitty lying on the ground nearby. Things looked bad but, it turned out the feckless feline's fur had just been burned off, and it suffered only a minor scorching.

"The doctor said it looked like he was in a flash fire and got singed from head to toe," said local animal control officer Janet Duzan. The cat is expected to make a full recovery - physically, that is. Whether its injured pride will heal is another issue.

Source: edmontonsun.com (http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/FirstLight/2005/08/23/1184521-sun.html) , newsday.com (http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-lucky-feline,0,290294,print.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines)

[Toxic]

We had a hydro pole fire yesterday. The one legged hawk hanging from the wire was non-saveable though... BBQ hawk anyone?

[Hosehog176]

We haven't had any cats in a tree call, we did get a call for a dog in a sinkhole. When we arrived it endded up being a Rottwhieler in the hole. Don't ask me why but the none pet loving capt decided he would go down the hole. When all was said & done he got a nice bite on the hand. :eek: :)

[Buckster]

Maybe not what you think it is, but......


http://www.cbc.ca/nb/story/nb_catrescue20051116.html

[five_alarm]

MONCTON, NB - Firefighters used their newest high-tech device to track down an errant cat. The thermal imaging camera is designed to locate humans trapped in burning buildings by showing "heat signatures" in the confusing and smoky atmosphere of a fire.

The day that Moncton firefighters finished learning how to use the device, they responded to an emergency call from a resident who had lost his beloved cat. Reg MacDonald was doing renovations on his home, and his cat Misty had been missing for two days. He was worried Misty was caught behind the drywall, so he turned to the fire department for help.

Source: cbc.ca (http://www.cbc.ca/nb/story/nb_catrescue20051116.html)

[wilderness]

well a story with a happy ending......wait a go lads...

[FireChef]

I have a pic of Nanaimo Fire Rescue and a member of the BCAS using a peds O2 mask on a kitten that was rescued from a housefire in town about 3-4 yrs ago. I will see if I can post it.

[FF_Hallman]

I was just wonderiing!!! Have you or has you department had to respond to a cat in a tree call? Just like on TV!!
Yeah I have saved a cat off a power pole once!!!

[five_alarm]

THUNDER BAY, ON - A cow moose was resting Sunday evening after Thunder Bay firefighters rescued it from the Neebing River earlier in the day. A motorist who’d stopped to change a flat tire spotted the stranded moose early Sunday afternoon.

The animal was flat on the frozen Neebing River, visible from Arthur Street and Mapleward Road. The 450-kilogram (1,000 pounds) cow moose didn’t appear to have anything broken, but was clearly tuckered out, said Vickers Station platoon chief Tom Chandler.

Not wanting to get too close, firefighters lassoed a sling around the moose and used the rope to secure it around her. They attached the rope to a four-by-four truck, then pulled her off the slick ice and up a four-foot bank.

Source: chroniclejournal.com (http://www.chroniclejournal.com/thunderbay/publish/article_2285.php)

[red_dog_six]

We rescued a horse that fell into a trough a few months back.
Chief didn't want us to go in until he arrived.
By the time he got there we had it pulled out.

Nothing like manure all over your bunker gear!!!!

[wilderness]

(Quinte West, Ontario) – Quinte West Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police, on behalf of all Quinte Area Emergency Services would like to remind the public that ice forming on lakes, river and ponds at this time of year can be very dangerous.

In the past 24 hours, area emergency services have received two calls to come to the aid of wildlife on the ice. While it is not easy to watch a deer struggle to stay upright and work it way to shore, it makes absolutely no sense to risk the life of an emergency services worker to attempt to save an animals life. Nature will play out its due course.

While our local emergency services are trained specifically in ice rescues, it is a risky venture at the best of times so we ask that members of the public not attempt the heroic deed by putting themselves in danger. (Point: What are you going to do with a frantic, flailing 200 pound animal even if you manage to get to it on the ice).

We ask parents to please remind your children about the dangers of playing on or near ice and to keep an extra vigilant eye on them if they are near any water.

Before venturing onto any ice covered body of water, know the conditions of the ice, not just the thickness. Consult local authorities to ascertain current conditions.
Let’s all make our winter activities safe and enjoyable.

[iamvff]

While it is not easy to watch a deer struggle to stay upright and work it way to shore, it makes absolutely no sense to risk the life of an emergency services worker to attempt to save an animals life. Nature will play out its due course.


I agree with this statement 1000%. There is no animal in the world that is worth one of our lives!

iamvff

[cranker]

We did a cat in the tree call a few years back. Thought it was kinda dumb at the time but the way the old fella was attempting it on his own we would have had a medical call there anyway when he fell out of the tree.

[five_alarm]

OTTAWA, ON - It isn't every day a firefighter is called upon to give mouth-to-snout resuscitation, but when saving lives is your job, you do what you have to do. Yesterday, while most people were preparing for a family Christmas dinner, firefighter John McGovern and his lieutenant, Ian MacKinnon, were on duty. They and their crew were called to Ramsey Crescent, near Pinecrest and the Queensway.

Their pumper was the second to get there, at about 4:30 p.m. It was a fire in the living room. It soon became clear there were no people in the house. The family was away. But moments later the firefighters realized there was a life to try to save. One of the firefighters already at the scene, Don Church, had been inside the house, conducting a search. When he emerged, he carried in his arms a large dog, a German shepherd-Labrador cross. He'd found it in the basement, chained up, showing no signs of life...

Source: canada.com (http://www.canada.com/ottawa/story.html?id=4811617b-4caa-4625-9e8e-e6b81505f060&k=40577)

[FFWannabe]

What a great story.... aside from the fact that people actually left the city and left their dog, their pet, chained in the basement. I hope they are not allowed to have this dog back, some people just shouldn't have pets. Thank goodness for John McGovern, I bet the dog's a happy camper!!!

Sue :)

[five_alarm]

EDMONTON, AB - The prancing and pawing of tiny feet on their roof Christmas Eve was too much for an Edmonton family who called firefighters to rescue their stranded cat. To Heather Henderson and her 12-year-old grandson, Jeremiah Henderson, rookie firefighter Darrel Vallie is a real-life Santa Claus.

Vallie climbed onto the roof of a three-storey apartment building at 8709 97 Ave., refusing to come down until the grey-and-white kitty named Socks was in his clutches. "It's a beautiful gift," said the elder Henderson.

"It was quite exciting because the whole team came out to get one little kitty off the roof."

Source: edmontonsun.com (http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2005/12/26/1368312-sun.html)

[Pugfire]

I TOTALLY agree with FFwannabe, anyone who would chain a dog in the basement and leave the house doesn't deserve the love of a dog. I'd rather see them chained up someplace nice, like a basement filling with smoke, so they can appreciate what they did to that poor dog. The panic the poor thing must have endured prior to passing out must have been awful.
This is what the courts never look at. Mistreatment of pets goes unpunished except for slaps on the wrist.

THANK YOU BROTHER for what you did.

[wilderness]

This happened not to far from us, the other day one of the local stations, gets asked to check out the cause of an alarm, so they dispatch one truck. the truck is going to the scene when they come across a deer hit by a car, they stop to make sure the lady is ok, when the O.P.P happen upon the scene, take out the shot gun and shoot it twice in the head and tell the firedepartment to look after it, being its close to there station, they get on the radio tell there dispatch to send another 1/2 ton, to there location they havea parcel, to be picked up... and load the deer in the truck and send it back to the hall, so there are the guys sitting in the truck bay gutting the deer....... i say only in the valley, so now they have there Christmas supper

[smoke286]

Heres a little tidbit, we are not allowed to respond to cat in tree calls, howecer we do respond to ducks frozen into a pond, go figure.

[srfdw92]

We responded last fall to a cat stuck in a barbed wire fence call.

Poor thing had been running at night and got hung up on one of the barbs... Cat panic'd and tore itself up good. Bolt cutters, and a few tetnus shot's later the cat was on its way to the vets for stiches.

Someone else reported a picture of a cat rescued froma house fire. here's one from a grow-house fire.

I modified the pic to remove identifyable marks from the paramedic as I didn't ask his permission to post the pic.

[fireice]

My claim-to-fame cat rescue came while we were overhauling a home in which the fire had entended extensively from a stove pipe. The owners were booted out of the home (and they told us a great line -- "Don't spray water in there"), and they were worried about their two cats. Our captain tells us to find the cats -- although with the limited smoke, they were plenty safe in the house. Four guys in full BA searching around the second floor spot the much more agile cat bolt by them and head for the stairs. I watched him go down a few stairs and make a decision: Keep going towards the noise of the PPV fan, or go back towards the aliens. He let me pick him up -- meowing with fear -- and deliver him to the captain.

The other lucky cat remained hidden.

Hey, our volley department doesn't get many chances for a "save" like this!

Happy New Year Gang!

[five_alarm]

FREDERICTON, NB - A confused moose wandered onto river ice near downtown Fredericton Tuesday morning, only to be rescued by rangers with a big sled and a tranquilizer gun. The animal's adventure began around 3 a.m. Tuesday, when the district office of Natural Resources began fielding calls from downtown residents about a moose on the loose.

The moose wandered into town on Woodstock Road, a busy thoroughfare leading into the heart of Fredericton. Chris Adams was picking up his truck from the repair shop. He couldn't believe his eyes when he spotted the moose in his rear-view mirror. "When I saw a moose that size running behind my truck, especially on Woodstock Road. You're kind of wondering. That's quite something." Adams and others watched the antler-less animal race off the road, through several backyards, across the walking trail and onto the frozen St. John River....

Source: cbc.ca (http://www.cbc.ca/nb/story/nb_mooserescue20060103.html)

[Pugfire]

Sadly the moose didn't make it, but it was a valiant effort.

quote from CBC news (http://www.cbc.ca/nb/story/nb_moosefolo20060104.html) "

Moose dies after heart-wrenching rescue in N.B.
Last Updated Wed, 04 Jan 2006 11:38:58 EST
CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/nb/story/nb_moosefolo20060104.html)
The dramatic rescue of a young moose in New Brunswick has ended sadly, with wildlife officials putting the animal down because of an injury.

"end quote

[PEMS17]

Sadly the moose didn't make it, but it was a valiant effort.

quote from CBC news (http://www.cbc.ca/nb/story/nb_moosefolo20060104.html) "

Moose dies after heart-wrenching rescue in N.B.
Last Updated Wed, 04 Jan 2006 11:38:58 EST
CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/nb/story/nb_moosefolo20060104.html)
The dramatic rescue of a young moose in New Brunswick has ended sadly, with wildlife officials putting the animal down because of an injury.

"end quote
mmmmmm, moose jerky and roasts. Come on why let it go to waste.

[ABFF37]

I've been to a few animal calls over the years. I've had a couple of cats in trees, and one cat in electrical wires up a power pole. Not much to do in that case other than to wait for the utility company to attend and get the little fella out with a cherry picker. I had a puppy dog fall into a basement window well under a deck, and even a deer caught between two fence posts once. I'm happy to say that they all worked out well, and the animals all made it back to their owners or natural habitat. We were always available on radio at each of these calls, so if a priority call had come in like a house fire in our district for example we would have left and attended it instead.

AB

[five_alarm]

INTERNATIONAL - FORT SUMNER, NM - A mouse got its revenge against a homeowner who tried to dispose of it in a pile of burning leaves. The blazing creature ran back to the man's house and set it on fire.

Luciano Mares, 81, of Fort Sumner, said he caught the mouse inside his house and wanted to get rid of it. "I had some leaves burning outside, so I threw it in the fire and the mouse was on fire and ran back at the house," Mares said from a motel room.

Village fire Chief Juan Chavez said the burning mouse ran to just beneath a window and the flames spread up from there and throughout the house. No was hurt (Forgo the mouse) but the home and everything in it was destroyed.

Source: lfpress.ca (http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/International/2006/01/09/1385131-sun.html)

[Pugfire]

Good for the mouse. Hope his insurance won't pay out.
Now if only the SPCA would charge him with cruelty to an animal.

[five_alarm]

INTERNATIONAL - ALBUQUERQUE, NM - Was it really a flaming mouse that burned down Luciano Mares' house? Or was it just the wind? Mares' story of a mouse that scampered from a burning pile of leaves into his rural home Saturday drew international media attention.

Then on Monday, the 81-year-old told an Albuquerque television station strong wind spread burning leaves, levelling his home of more than two decades. But on Tuesday, Mares and his nephew stood by his original version that a mouse was the culprit.

Source: cnews.canoe.ca (http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2006/01/10/1388085-ap.html)

[firefighter26]

I read this one in the TC (times columnist) the other morning. Apparently a mouse, that was on fire, ran from the burning pile of leaves to the guys house. The flames quickly spread fromt he mouse to his curtans I believe (I already recycled the paper :(). At first I thought it was pretty funny, then I wondered exactly how does a mouse make it from the yard, into the house, and hang out long enough to catch the curtins on fire, then the FD is apparently delayed in responding because they only saved the foundation.......

Previous g/f of mine had a story where her FD was toned out to a "flamming pussy cornered in a bath room"... apparently some local kids set fire to a cat, which ran into the house, which the owners chased into the bathroom in an attempt to douse the flames but the cat, as you would suspect, was royally pissed (can I say pissed?) so they locked it in there and called 911......;)

[frfghtr]

I was just wonderiing!!! Have you or has you department had to respond to a cat in a tree call? Just like on TV!!

On our museum site joke page we have a cartoon from "Speed Bump" that has a novel way of rescueing a cat from a tree.

Pour yourself a coffee and have a couple of good laughs.

http://www.winnipegfiremuseum.ca/fireside.htm

[five_alarm]

DARTMOUTH, NS - Emergency crews rushed to a frozen roadside stream outside Dartmouth Tuesday morning to rescue a beaver stuck to the ice. An early-morning jogger spotted the beaver off Mineville Rd. around 6 a.m., and called for help.

"When I showed up sure enough there it was," said RCMP Const. Jim Shields. "We did have the fire department out here. We had an idea that maybe we could put some water under it but thought it might stress the beaver out too much, so we just let nature take its course."

The beaver sat quietly preening itself while the rescuers decided what they were going to do. Rick Mader came across the strange sight while he was out walking his dogs. "I've spent a lot of time in the woods [and] I've never seen a beaver stuck in the ice before. I can only imagine that perhaps there was something else wrong," Mader said.

Source: cbc.ca (http://www.cbc.ca/ns/story/ns-beaver-ice20060307.html)

[colin911]

DARTMOUTH, NS - Emergency crews rushed to a frozen roadside stream outside Dartmouth Tuesday morning to rescue a beaver stuck to the ice. An early-morning jogger spotted the beaver off Mineville Rd. around 6 a.m., and called for help.

"When I showed up sure enough there it was," said RCMP Const. Jim Shields. "We did have the fire department out here. We had an idea that maybe we could put some water under it but thought it might stress the beaver out too much, so we just let nature take its course."

The beaver sat quietly preening itself while the rescuers decided what they were going to do. Rick Mader came across the strange sight while he was out walking his dogs. "I've spent a lot of time in the woods [and] I've never seen a beaver stuck in the ice before. I can only imagine that perhaps there was something else wrong," Mader said.

Source: cbc.ca (http://www.cbc.ca/ns/story/ns-beaver-ice20060307.html)
The headline alone is awesome!

[cdares]

Colin911: us bluenosers will do anything for a beaver in distress!!!!!!

We had a call once for a dog stuck in a culvert- literally...he got in about 3/4 and got lodged...between us and the works dept., we finally got him out to a very appreciative owner...never did a cat in a tree though!!

[ChiefCoonDog]

I have never seen a cat skeleton in a tree, but any Dept. would come to a Beaver call.

[CrazyLadder]

Long live the beaver.

[fire16]

driver 1 observed driver 2 throw/drop box off bridge onto river ice. driver 1 stopped and saw 3 kittens fall out of box .

short story, fire dept called and effected successfull rescue without putting anyone in jeopardy. they (cats) were out on the river ice about 30 meters from shore. we were able to somehow get a heavy knapsack surrounding them on the end of a rope, and very gently pull them to shore. very cold and wet, driver 1 took all 3 and continued on his journey. never heard the final outcome, although it didnt look too good for the runt.
Also had RCMP on scene with us as I thought a shot gun blast was more humane than freezing. (he just happened to be in the area)
I had told everyone that I was not prepared to put anyones safety at risk to save these kittens, even tho we have dry suits etc.

[five_alarm]

CALGARY, AB - Paramedics and firefighters who rescued part of a feline family from a house blaze deserve kudos, says the cats' owner. On Friday night, flames erupted in the basement of a duplex at 6425 31 Ave. N.W. forcing sisters Mandy and Drae Fitchett to make a desperate exit from the home. "We both jumped from the second-floor balcony," said Mandy Fitchett, 24, who suffered only a few scrapes and bruises in her escape.

The fire spread so quickly, it knocked out the duplex's telephone, forcing Mandy to run through the burning structure to retrieve her cellphone to call for help. But the two women were powerless to scoop up their five cats from their smoke-filled home.

Firefighters dashed into the building, pulling the five cats from the death trap. Cats Helix and Marmalade died, but Dax, Nym and Oscar survived. "I want them to know how grateful we are for what they did -- if it wasn't for them, none of the cats would have made it," said Fitchett.

Source: calsun.canoe.ca (http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2006/03/14/1487101-sun.html)

[kubrick1]

One of the funniest calls I have been on dealt with a similar issue. We got called for a cat stuck in a garage door. As we rolled up I couldn't see anything. My officer says "oh there it is" I look and ask where? He says look up. At the top of the door a little leg hung down and you could hear the cat making some odd meowing sounds. My officer turns to me and asks me to grab a haligan. For a fleeting moment I though why is he going to club this poor creature with a haligan and then it occurs to me that he is going to pry the door open. Well that works and the cat jumps down. We go inside the garge to find the cat and make sure it is okay. The 3 yof owner is looking for kitty too. I just have this mental image of a wounded cat flying towards the little girl as she lunges for it. I persuad her to let me find the cat first. We find the cat and remarkably it's okay. The best part...this was a Captain's house. The vet bill was a couple of hundred dollars and the cat ran away a week later!

[five_alarm]

TRURU, NS - A volunteer firefighter in Truro has been reunited with the furry victim he resuscitated. Chip Wright was part of the crew called to a major apartment fire on Revere Street last Saturday. It was his job to take care of the people who needed minor assistance as they escaped the burning building.

Wright, a volunteer firefighter for 18 years, wasn't expecting what happened next. "One of the volunteers brought me this cat and it looked dead and I was a little upset, but upon a little examination I noticed it was breathing — barely breathing," he said.

Wright placed an oxygen mask over the cat's face, and turned on the gas. "About 10 minutes after I started out oxygen on him he started moving his head a little bit and he started moving his ears when there was noise."

Source: cbc.ca (http://www.cbc.ca/ns/story/ns-fire-cat20060317.html?ref=rss)

[five_alarm]

KAWARTHA LAKES, ON - Just the other day an issue of Kawartha Lakes This Week arrived with a wonderful cover photo of a firefighter assisting a cat rescued from a house fire. This immediately brought to mind a story I heard a while back about other emergency service providers and a situation that involved a pet.

I was visiting our local Humane Society Adoption Centre when one of the staff pointed out a specific cat to me. Apparently this animal had belonged to an elderly citizen who had become very ill. An ambulance was dispatched to see to the needs of her owner. The owner, very ill indeed, was transported to Ross Memorial Hospital. I don't know whether it was because the owner refused to leave the cat, or because the medical personnel knew that her owner's time could be short, but the cat was taken to the hospital along with her owner. She travelled on the gurney in the ambulance, then moved to the bed from whence her owner never again lifted her head. She stayed beside her person until that human subsequently died.

The cat was then taken to the adoption centre to be cared for until a new home could be found for her. (Are you in tears yet?)

Source: mykawartha.com (http://www.mykawartha.com/ka/opinion/letters/story/3417636p-3951708c.html)

[rescueone]

we have responded to a few cat in the tree incidents, nothing wrong with that we are here to help

R1

[DeputyMikey]

I agree with red_devil. Cat got up there on its own, so let it be. But Our chief is a big softy. We go out cause its good PR as well. But I don't want to see this get out of hand for us. BTW, I've done puppies out of a sewer, duck in a man hole call, 4 cats of of roofs and up in trees, and birds in chimmneys.

[DCharv]

We got called to a dog caught in a stump (Yes, that's what i said.) The dog had his head stuck in the hole of a stump. Ended up getting the vets out to sedate the dog, once this was done we very carefully started cutting away at the stump.

We were also called to a barn collapse where two horses were trapped inside. Luckily we had one of our veteran firefighters on scene who is a "horse guy" for lack of better terms. He was able to keep the horses calm as we shored up the structure and able to extricate the horses.

We've also had cats in trees, one of which we cut the tree down as per the owners request (60ft tree too). And yes, the cat survived LOL.

[FF9705]

We once had a pig stranded out on a rock in the middle of a river....you never know what's next...

[five_alarm]

MONCTON, NB - An errant porpoise, possibly on the hunt for some freshwater variation to his or her diet, got caught in the spillway leading into Jones Lake yesterday but was rescued and released back into the Petitcodiac River, none the worse for wear.

The Moncton Fire Department reported the creature negotiated its way from the river all the way up Jonathan Creek about 3:30 p.m. yesterday but was stymied by the spillway, where it cooled its fins for about a half hour before its rescuers could bring it out and load it into a truck for the 'cab trip' back to the river.

The urban porpoise was released at about 4 p.m. and drew quite a crowd in the parking lot near Chateau Moncton on East Main Street.

Source: canadaeast.com (http://canadaeast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060412/TTEBRIEF/604120508)

[fireman-911]

What's funny is that this is not the first time that they have responded to a dolphin in the river. It's almost a yearly thing.

[five_alarm]

EDMONTON, AB - It wasn't Easter eggs that kept the Lelievres on a seven-hour hunt yesterday - it was the family's runaway pooch. As Ron Lelievre, his 13-year-old son Ryan and 10-year-old daughter Haley scoured their west-end neighbourhood for Buddy, six crews of firefighters rescued the shivering four-year-old Rottweiler/shepherd cross from the frigid waters of the North Saskatchewan River.

Shortly before noon yesterday, a passerby in the off-leash dog area in Terwillegar Park called 911 to report a dog in the water on the west side of the river, grasping at an ice shelf about three metres offshore...

....Six fire trucks from three stations were dispatched to the river. Talking to the 911 caller, Corus directed the rescue boat to the dog, who was initially hard to spot.

Source: edmontonsun.com (http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2006/04/17/1537329-sun.html)

[DCCHam]

....Six fire trucks from three stations were dispatched to the river. Talking to the 911 caller, Corus directed the rescue boat to the dog, who was initially hard to spot.

Source: edmontonsun.com (http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2006/04/17/1537329-sun.html)

Six trucks?!?!......this wasn't the Mayor's dog by any chance was it? :p :rolleyes: :p

[ndvfd_ff33]

Can one say Overkill

[wilderness]

Maybe there was a reward....

[five_alarm]

Williams Lake, BC - The Cariboo Regional District’s 108 Mile Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) will be awarded with the BC SPCA’s highest award – the Kevin Anderson Award of Heroism for the rescue of the dog Elvis from Sepa Lake.

Last November, a VFD member was walking along the lakeshore when she came across a frantic dog owner whose pet had gone out on the ice, fallen through and was unable to pull itself from the frigid waters. The owner made attempts to go out on the ice to save his pet but was stopped by the VFD member to protect him from the extreme risks presented by the situation. The VFD member called 911 and requested that the departments trained ice rescue unit respond to the scene.

Source: municipalsuppliers.com (http://www.municipalsuppliers.com/news_detail.asp?ID=51255)

[Slate_37]

We've had one since I've been in (5 years), a cat had gotten his head stuck in a door hole. The couple was renovatting their house and was putting new door knobs in... Went there, cut the door apart and got the kitty out.

[Scuba]

Jack the Cat Chases Black Bear Up Tree

WEST MILFORD, N.J. Jun 9, 2006 (AP)— A black bear picked the wrong New Jersey yard for a jaunt earlier this week, running into a territorial tabby who ran the furry beast up a tree twice.
Jack, a 15-pound orange-and-white cat, keeps a close vigil on his property, chasing small animals when he can, but his owners and neighbors say his latest escapade was surprising.
"We used to joke, 'Jack's on duty,' never knowing he'd go after a bear," cat owner Donna Dickey told The Star-Ledger of Newark for Friday's newspapers....



http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2059156

[five_alarm]

BRAMPTON, ON - Animal services workers are still trying to catch some of the estimated 100 badly neglected cats found in a decrepit, foul-smelling home. The workers set traps for the animals after police discovered the apparently abandoned animals around 5 p.m. Friday when a carbon monoxide detector went off at the home. Officers who entered the house were forced to leave almost immediately because of the rancid stench. Firefighters were called and entered with full breathing gear.Source: hamiltonspectator.com (http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=hamilton/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1152483907715&call_pageid=1020420665036&col=1112101662670)

Almost 100 cats found in decrepit Ontario home: ctv.ca (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060709/neglected_cats_060709/20060709?hub=TopStories) , washingtontimes.com (http://washingtontimes.com/upi/20060709-052147-9669r.htm) , UK (http://news.monstersandcritics.com/southamerica/article_1179420.php/Over_100_abandoned_cats_found_in_home)

[five_alarm]

WATERLOO, ON - A family of ducks with a poor sense of direction and even worse luck got some human help in a sticky situation yesterday. Waterloo resident Cam Miller was driving along Bluevale Street when he noticed a duck and some ducklings hanging around a sewer grate. Now, that's strange for a couple of reasons... Enter the crew from Waterloo's Pump 1 -- Capt. Rick Fielding and firefighters Dwayne Drover, Joel Sneddon and Kevin Frank -- there with the blessing of their platoon chief. Provided that nothing that qualified as an emergency came up...Source: therecord.com (http://www.therecord.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=record/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1152654617323&call_pageid=1024322085509&col=1024322199564)

[ABFF37]

I can now add a new animal to the list of four legged (or two legged) critters that I've helped out. Yesterday while returning from a call we were flagged down by a concerned motorist about a mother duck and her 8 baby ducklings walking down a busy freeway. Long story short, after some creative use of a reflective barrel cone we managed to get all the babies and relocate them to a nearby park away from the busy road. The mother who had flown away quickly rejoined them, and now mother and all her ducklings are safe and reunited. They were last seen waddleing towards a lake at the Confederation Park Golf course.

AB:)

[iamvff]

Hey Ab....would you use baby duck wine with ..........


never mind


iamvff:o

[ABFF37]

Hey Ab....would you use baby duck wine with ..........


never mind


iamvff:o

Mmmmmmmm...duck...

AB:p

[five_alarm]

CALGARY, AB - Fire crews are getting a big thanks from a family for helping save their home -- and a pair of hamsters and a goldfish -- after a blaze broke out in their kitchen yesterday. The small furry pets even required treatment at the scene for smoke inhalation -- a stream of oxygen blown over them to increase their oxygen saturation levels. Marcela Penagos, who lives in the rented Radcliffe Cr. S.E. townhouse, said she was making breakfast for her kids and her niece when the fire started...Source: canoe.ca (http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2006/07/26/1703030-sun.html)

[afireguy]

I just have 1 question?

How many DEAD cats you see up in trees!

[five_alarm]

CHEMAINUS, BC - firefighters were successful herding cats out of a burning mobile home Saturday and keeping the number of injuries to a minimum. Just before 2 p.m. the department was called to a structure fire behind Byron's Foodmarket off of Chemainus Road in Saltair. When the members arrived they heard screams and entered the home. "It's amazing how much the sound of cats resembles a person crying for help," fire chief David Tucker said. "We found 18 cats, most of which had moved to the far, cool end of the trailer to get away from the fire."Source: cowichannewsleader.com (http://www.cowichannewsleader.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=9&cat=23&id=709076&more=)

[Threeeightynine]

I did get a cat call once asked he owner for a pillow case, hooped and scooped em, twisted it around 20 times and climbed down.....the cat was cool and rode down nicely.... no claws and no screaming..:)