ADT Inc.

07/19/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/19/2021 07:25

Protecting Furry Friends from House Fires

By: Bob Tucker, ADT Chief Storyteller

Jade, Oliver, and Dexter were home alone and wouldn't have survived the smoke without ADT.

This week I facilitated two ADT LifeSaver celebrations where customers experienced house fires and their beloved pets were rescued.

The first was in Kansas where three cats were saved from a kitchen fire. Only a month before, a monitored security system had been installed in the new home of Bobby and Tatum Nachtrab.

'It already paid for itself,' said Bobby. 'The cats; Jade, Oliver, and Dexter were home alone and wouldn't have survived the smoke without ADT.'

Exclaimed Tatum, 'Losing them would've been heartbreaking. Our cats mean everything to us.'

A swift response from firefighters prevented the couple's home from burning to the ground and saved many household items, including baby clothing, toys, and furniture for their first child expected next month.

ADT Customers Bobby and Tatum Nachtrab.

A customer's home in Michigan was the second stop I made this week.

That's where Dr. Richard Veyna shared an amazing story about how his Golden Retriever started a fire in his house.

'I left to take my kids to school. Within minutes, my dog Finn, reached up on the stove to get some food,' Richard explained. 'His paw accidentally turned on the gas burner and the flame caught a box on fire.'

Richard knows exactly what happened because the whole thing was caught on camera. The security video also showed Finn and another dog, Oakley, perking up as the ADT security system activated and emitted a piercing alarm as smoke filled the home.

'Our investigation indicated this was an accidental fire, caused by the dog,' said Jeff Williams, Fire Marshal of Orion Township Fire Department.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), about 1,000 pets accidentally start fires each year with the most common scenario being cats knocking over lit candles with their tails. NFPA also estimates that 40,000 pets succumb to fires, mostly in houses without monitored protection.

To help educate pet owners about ways to protect their dogs and cats from house fires, ADT holds Pet Fire Safety Day each July 15 and distributes pet alert stickers so first responders know the number of pets inside a home when there's an emergency.

As a proud pet owner, I enjoyed meeting our customers this week and learning how their ADT security systems protected their pooches and felines from fires.