Calls to rescue pet animals in distress leave Kerala fire and rescue services in a quandary

At the centre of it is a standing order issued by the then Director General of Fire and Rescue Services Jacob Thomas some eight years ago restricting the involvement of the department only to rescuing livestock linked to livelihood

Frequent calls from the public seeking help to rescue pet animals in distress continue to leave the fire and rescue services personnel in a quandary.

At the centre of it is a standing order issued by the then Director General of Fire and Rescue Services Jacob Thomas some eight years ago. The order restricted the involvement of the fire and rescue services to rescuing only livestock linked to livelihood.

“On one hand fire force is celebrated for its service in rescuing lives of all living creatures without any discrimination. But on the other hand remains an order, which runs counter to this very motto. The fact is that the heads of the department issues standing orders according to their whims. But those orders remain in effect even after they leave and no one bothers to amend it or replace such orders,” said a senior fire force official on condition of anonymity.

However, the common public remain ignorant of the predicament of the fire force department and continue to approach it with pleas to rescue pet and even stray animals in distress. For instance, only on Sunday, the Tripunithura fire force station had to oblige to a call for rescuing a stray cat stranded on a coconut tree.

“When we receive such calls, we try our best to avoid it. But the public either persist or get the elected representatives to exert their influence on their behalf leaving us with hardly any option,” said the official.

But it doesn’t stop there either. In the event of any mishap, including injury to fire fighters, during the course of such rescue missions, rather than receiving any help, they run the risk of facing disciplinary action for violating a standing order.

Fire force also remains the go-to-agency for the public even when snakes infiltrate into their homes. Most fire stations now maintain a contact list of professional snake catchers since they alone are allowed to handle the reptiles since it needs expertise.