Thursday July, 2 2026 @ 13:00

Nature: Duty Officer Call – Citizen Assist - Animal Rescue

Address: 26385 Timbercreek Lane – Long Neck Shores

On Thursday, July 2^nd, the Duty Officer for the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company was alerted for citizen assist event on Timbercreek Lane in the Long Neck Shortes development off of Bay Farm Road.  It was reported to be a cat in a culvert pipe under the driveway and would assistance with removing it.

Incident response included the Duty Officer to the incident location.

Incident response activities included an evaluation and assistance.

With these types of concerns, the situation was evaluated and monitored to safely remove the cat (or kitten) in the drainage culvert, avoiding the need for direct entry and minimizing risk to both the animal and the responders.

Why This Method Was Chosen:

• Safety: Avoided putting firefighters in a confined, potentially hazardous space.

• Animal welfare: Reduced stress by not forcing the animal into a tight, dark environment.

• Efficiency: Achieved a prompt recovery without specialized equipment.

Takeaways

This rescue demonstrated how first responders adapt simple tools and techniques to solve unusual problems. In confined spaces like drainage culverts, non-invasive methods such as water flow or gentle coaxing can be lifesaving for animals and safe for crews

After dialogue and discussion, the incident was place under control and closed.