Health and safety education to eliminate confusion
A poor little kitty was stuck in a tree for five days. It used to be a simple job for a fire department member to go up a tree and rescue a kitty, but unfortunately health and safety rules have changed in a local community where the fire and rescue team could not rescue the poor little kitty. The kitty named Diesel was stuck 60 feet up in a spruce tree for five days. The officers at the local brigade stated they would be putting their men at risk if they were to try to rescue the cat.
A 15-year-old boy who walked by saved the cat instead. Without a ladder, safety net, or crane he went up the tree and brought the little fellow back down. The boy was happy to rescue the little creature and the owner was pleased to have his kitty back as he feared that the cat might die due to dehydration and starvation. The boy stated to the media that he would like to send a message. Simply put, the boy feels they should be helping animals, not harming them. Fire fighters do have health and safety rules they must follow. It is sometimes unfortunate that they must decide on how to approach any situation before they can actually help a person or animal. Part of the issues comes in from being held liable in the event of further injury. Other issues arise due to lack of proper equipment for certain jobs such as getting a cat out of a tree if there are power lines a ladder could hit.
