Sedona Fire District works to keep your pets safe from fire

The Sedona Fire District is marking “Keep Your Pets Fire Safe Week” from May 5 through 11 with a proclamation from the city of the Sedona and events funded by a $9,900 grant from the Arizona Community Foundation and a $200 contribution from the Sedona Verde Valley Fire Fighters Charities. SFD staff said that the program’s goals are to save pets’ lives during emergencies by distributing free “Rescue Retriever”-branded alert devices and talking to residents about pet fire safety around pets.

The alert devices are shaped like a dog’s paw and are designed to help firefighters locate pets by flashing strobe lights without an audio alarm. SFD is also distributing front door stickers announcing to firefighters what pets may be inside.

“With the fires that took place in Los Angeles and there’s been lots of conversations in Sedona about fire, fire safety and evacuation, so [Pet Week] is timely for what’s on people’s minds,” SFD board chairwoman Helen McNeal said. “We’re inviting residents to enter their pets’ information into our system. If they do, and there’s ever a fire, our firefighters will arrive already knowing there are pets in the home. That’s a big deal when it comes to situational awareness for our firefighters.” McNeal estimated that SFD will hand out about 165 of the alarms during the week.

“If there’s more demand than that, we’ll give out more,” McNeal said. SFD is now allowing residents to fill out a short form on their website to let first responders know if they have pets in their home and where the animals typically sleep. SFD will also host a “Pet Location Alert Walk” at Sunset Village, during which firefighters will visit homes to install free pet alert devices and smoke detectors funded by the Arizona Burn Foundation. “[Sunset Village] was selected because we work with them and we felt there was a need,” McNeal said. A woman died there in a house fire in March 2024. “We do multiple smoke detector walks throughout the year.”

SFD staff advised residents not to leave pets alone around an open flame, to keep pets away from heat sources such as stoves, space heaters and lamps, to use ceramic rather than glass bowls outside on the grounds that a glass bowl on a wooden deck can be a fire hazard, to learn pets’ hiding places and train them to come when called and to secure loose electrical wires.

The Humane Society of Sedona will provide free pet fire safety information and pet alert stickers during the week and a free pet alarm to anyone who adopts an animal. Meals on Wheels and the Verde Valley Caregivers Coalition will also deliver safety materials to and install free devices and stickers in the homes of their clients.

The pet alarms are sold at cost by SFD and will be available for purchase for $50 at SFD Station 1, 2860 Southwest Drive in Sedona. For more information, visit sedonafire.org or contact McNeal at (301) 529-5268.