EMS supervisor helps save 'lifeless' dog after apartment fire in Southwest DC

WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — The call came out around noon Friday for a fire at an apartment on M Street in Southwest DC.

Sgt. Melissa Turner was working as the EMS supervisor 

“While I’m waiting for the transport units to come, I decided to go to the alpha side, or the front of the building," she said.

When Turner got to the front, she noticed six dogs outside with their owner but knew more pups were inside.

“I saw one of the firefighters bring the dog out and he was completely limp," said Turner.

DC Fire & EMS had no people to treat, so Turner’s focus shifted.

“MPD went to escort the owner with the dog, and I called them over to me. The dog needs oxygen," she said.

So, Turner fit the dog, named King, with a special oxygen mask while someone else performed chest compressions.

 “We’re not trained for it," said Turner. "It’s just kind of, when you see it, it takes over.”

Sgt. Turner says she’s been with DC Fire & EMS for over twenty years, and she’s never had to give CPR or oxygen to a dog before, but it’s something, she says, she’ll never forget.

“To see the transition and his eyes, like that was-I’ve never seen anything like that before and we work with people daily," she said. "It was a different experience.”

DC Fire & EMS doesn’t normally respond to pet emergencies, but this day, for King, the stars aligned.

“It was right place, right time," said Noah Gray, Chief Communications Officer with DC Fire & EMS. "We happened to be there, we saw this dog needed care and we didn’t have any other human beings to attend to, so why not take the extra step and make sure we’re there to serve."

Turner says the save was a team effort.

"I think collectively we gave King a chance," she said.