How Can Dog Owners in Orlando Keep Their Furry Friends Safe During Fire Damage Restoration?

10/25/2020 (Permalink)

Make sure your pets and family are safe when facing a fire. Then contact our experienced SERVPRO team for remediation services.

Orlando Dog Owners are Concerned about Their Pets During Fire Damage Restoration

Orlando is an excellent place for dog owners. There are dog-friendly beaches in the area, including beaches just for dogs and their owners, plus plenty of dog parks. Local pet owners love their furry friends and want to keep them safe and protected from potential disasters.

Dog owners are understandably very relieved when their pets survive an Orlando home fire with no harm. However, they still worry about whether their pets will be safe during fire damage restoration in their Orlando homes. SERVPRO customers often ask us if it is safe for their pets to stay in the house while we work.

Can your pet stay in your home while SERVPRO is working?

We recommend moving your dog to a safe location outside of your home. Depending on the extent of the fire in Orlando, there could be many hazards for them in your house:

• Nails, glass, or broken bits of wood on the floor
• Hanging drywall or collapsed ceilings
• Firefighting chemicals or leftover water from fire hoses
  

It is best for your pet – and better for your peace of mind – if you can arrange for them to go to a shelter or stay with a trusted friend or family member.

How can dog owners protect their furry friends from a fire?

You cannot always prevent a fire, but you can take steps to protect your pet in the event of a blaze:

• Get a “pets inside” door sticker to alert firefighters to the presence of animals
• Practice fire drills with your pets – rehearse how you would remove them from the house during a fire
• Know where your dog likes to hide so you will not waste time finding them
• Keep up to date with obedience training and classes – you want to know your dog will follow your directions in an emergency
  

How can dog owners make things easier for their pets during fire damage restoration?

There is a high chance that your dog will need to go to a friend or a shelter while SERVPRO of South Orange County is restoring your home. You can make this transition easier for your pet, and the person tasked with caring for them, by:

• Keeping up to date vaccination and medical records in a fireproof box
• Having a stock of medications on hand
• Preparing an “away kit” with favorite toys and blankets
• Putting together emergency instructions that include feeding schedules, medicines, and any behavioral notes
• Making sure you have a secure and comfortable pet carrier, and a spare collar and lead
  

What will SERVPRO do after you send your pet to another location?

Our technicians will take care of every aspect of fire damage restoration.

We clean soot residue from the walls and ceilings of your home and arrange for them to be re-painted if necessary. We can also take care of any structural damage such as broken windows or doors, and damaged walls or ceilings. Safety is our priority – we create a safe working area before we start, and if we find electrical or plumbing hazards, we call in specialists to deal with them.

We also clean your personal belongings, including sofas and chairs, tables, home office furniture, keepsakes, and even clothes, linens, and upholstery. We can use HEPA vacuuming, dry brushing, and wet wiping on-site, and we can also send your belongings to our cleaning facility for deep cleaning.

If there is water left from firefighting efforts, we will pump it out and use fans and dehumidifiers to dry your home. Drying is a vital part of fire damage restoration because damp walls, furniture, carpets, or drapes provide ripe breeding grounds for fungus.

What is an ozone generator, and how does it help?

Deodorizing is an essential part of fire remediation. Leftover smoke odors are very distressing for people, which is why we take steps to ensure your home smells fresh.

One way of fighting odors is by using an ozone generator. The clean smell of the air after a thunderstorm comes from natural ozone. Ozone generators use ozone’s natural deodorizing properties to clean the air after a fire and remove smoke smells.

Ozone generators are not safe for use around pets, plants, or untrained people. That is why we train our technicians to safely use the machines and equip them with the correct personal protective equipment. Ozone is a powerful odor eater, but its use should be closely supervised. Our technicians will let you know how soon you and your pets can safely re-enter the area after ozone use.

We can also use hydroxyl generators, air scrubbers, and activated carbon filters to fight odors.

For pet-friendly fire damage remediation, call SERVPRO of South Orange County at (407) 226-2621.