Yonkers neighborhood cheers as stranded kitty is shot out of tree with a fire hose

[x635 4,066]

Definetly an interesting tatic, keeps FF's safe and makes the public happy. Also, it's kind of like the old school "lifenets" the ladders used to carry- only they used a sheet. Although I don't know how nice it was for the cat.

Yonkers neighborhood cheers as stranded kitty is shot out of tree with a fire hose

By ROB RYSER

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: September 17, 2007)

YONKERS - The spooked cat that was stuck 60-feet high in a willow for a week was at last blasted out of the tree last night by a high pressure water hose and landed - soaked but perfectly safe - into an outstretched sheet.

"It was so exciting," says Yonkers artist and animal rescuer Greg Speirs, who was among the crowd of 50 people assembled at the foot of the tree on Rockledge Place. "Everyone was cheering."

Before the cat came down, a crew from the Yonkers Fire Fepartment took a shot into the tree with the water hose and missed the furry target.

The volunteers watched where the water fell on the other side of the tree and adjusted the location of the outstretched sheet, Speirs said.

Good thing, because the next shot knocked the orange and white kitty clear out of the tree and perfectly into the safety blanket.

"As soon as the cat landed it jumped out and ran into the woods," said Speirs this morning, still animated about the dramatic dinner-time rescue. "Some kids helped us bring the cat back, and a man said he would adopt the cat right on the spot."

The cat seemed to be more hungry than anything else, chomping handful after handful of cat food, Speirs said.

"You can't come up with a nicer ending than that," he said.

Read more about this story tomorrow in The Journal News and on LoHud.com.

AND SOME HISTORY ON THIS STORY:

Yonkers neighborhood rallies around tree-bound kitty

By BRIAN J. HOWARD

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: September 17, 2007)

Cats don't really have nine lives, and firefighters don't really rescue them from trees.

Those two feline truisms confront residents of a Yonkers neighborhood fretting over the fate of a young calico cat stuck for days in the boughs of a tree off South Broadway.

"It's hard to stand by and not have any help coming," said Greg Spiers, a 50-year-old artist and animal rescuer who has tried for days to get the stranded cat down. "I want to climb the tree myself."

The brown, orange and white cat was first spotted over a week ago by a neighbor, said Spiers, who estimated it is perched at least four stories high at Rockledge Place and Bruce Avenue.

A ladder did not put him within reaching distance of the cat. Efforts to coax it down by banging cans of cat food only lured it so far before the cat got spooked by the steep descent.

So Spiers called the Fire Department but was told firefighters could not help. The police advised him to leave food by the tree and said the cat would come down eventually on its own. A call to the Yonkers fire commissioner wasn't immediately returned.

Chris Cialini, an employee at the SPCA shelter in Briarcliff Manor, offered the same advice.

"I do know that they do find their way down," Cialini said. "It's just when they're terribly frightened they're not going to come down."

The shelter advises people not to call their local fire departments.

According to the Web site PAWS.com, cats stuck in trees are usually 6 to 18 months old. They must climb down backward because of the shape of their claws. Declawed cats cannot climb down on their own. Most come down in three to five days, usually at night.

A worker reached at the Yonkers Animal Shelter yesterday afternoon declined to give his name, but said if the cat didn't come down on its own by morning, the city might send out a bucket truck today.

In the meantime, neighbors will keep trying on their own.

"There was a horrible breeze blowing, and the tree was swaying back and forth with him on it," Spiers said of the cat. "People went out there with a trampoline net to try to get him to jump on it, but that was to no avail."

[HFD750 6]

Quick funny story, We did that with a bird. This lady had some kind of expensive exotic bird stuck in a tree, Now I don't know but isn't that where birds belong So we get there and this bird is really high we were never going to get it with ground ladders, So I'm like how are we going to do this without commiting my ladder? One of the guy's suggested using the garden hose next to the house. So I said lets give it a try,well we sprayed the bird, the lady held her arms out and the bird flew right to her.

[CPAGE 2]

Well in 20 years in the fire service I have never seen the bones of a dead cat in a tree.

Edited September 17, 2007 by CPAGE

[IzzyEng4 427]

Well in 20 years in the fire service I have never seen the bones of a dead cat in a tree.

Ummmm believe it or not there was an incident in the town next to me where the former chief, well call him "Pa", said that same quote "Have you ever seen a dead cat in a tree?" and within a day or two there it was, the same stuck cat dead in the tree.

Ecky, have you heard this story about "Pa"????? You should know who I'm talking about.

At least this is how it was told to me.

[Oswegowind 17]

I would just like everyone to know that these people called us for 2 days, and were told that we do not do this type of work. They continually called 911 and the police/fire non emergency numbers. They were referred to wildlife agents/agencies, some trapping services and refused to pay to have the cat removed...

In the end, they called 911 on a cell phone and reported a structure fire in the building adjacent to where the cat was stranded. No fire was found, and the YFD assisted the public instead. I am utterly annoyed! The person reporting the false alarm should have been arrested! A dispatcher gathered enough info to make this occur, however it was not used! I guess no one cares that people could have been killed responding to this bullshit false alarm, and that the public sunk this low to get someone there to help the frigging cat that climbed on its own into the tree. I am glad to here that no one climbed the tree and it is too bad they missed the damn cat with the water and it didn't fall to its death. I have nothing against animals, and had a cat for most of my life. But, I would have paid money to see the looks on these peoples faces if they cat they couldn't leave alone died as a result of their no being able to mind their own business! In the end, it was nobody's cat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just a stray that probably jot chased by a loose dog and ended up in the tree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dadbo46 50]

Well in 20 years in the fire service I have never seen the bones of a dead cat in a tree.

You beat me to it Chris !

Actually, I like the use of the trampoline.

[Guest TOYBUFF911]

Let me guess tomorrows headline. Public sues YFD for animal cruilty and injuring the cat. Metal bracelets for the caller and a nice knowing you to that cat.

[Guest]

I'm not a Chief and don't make policy - but I don't see the big deal about responding and getting the cat out of the tree if it hasn't come down after a couple of days. Sure, you're making apparatus and personnel unavailable for a bit - but no more unavailable than if they were on another call. We respond to all kinds of "non-emergency stuff" - deer stuck on the ice, dog locked in a car, pump a flooded basement, whatever ..

Also, do we cancel drills because there might be a call? If you're in the middle of drill and a call comes in you pack up what you have to and respond as quickly as you can. So treat the cat rescue as a drill.

Aside from the humanitarian aspect, think of the good publicity for the rescue. Even more, think of the bad publicity if the FD refused to get the cat and it really did die.

[TCD0415 26]

Was requested to call Dispatch the other night about midnight (thank god they didnt tone out everyone).

Was advised that there was a cat in a tree, what is your pleasure? My first comment was "I'll be right over with my 12 Ga.

She chucked (phew). I said we will not come out for a cat in a tree. Most times all you do is chase it up higher anyway when you try to grab them. Said it will come down in its own time.

Guess what, the next morning it was sitting on the front step of the owners house. Imagine that.

[Guest]

You never find Cat skelitons in the trees....They all com down when there hungy enough

[JM15 386]

Oswego someone called in a structure fire to get the FD to respond? Why is that person not in jail? That is ridiculas I am really pissed about that. I think that some letters need to be written to the police chief about that

[helicopper 1,050]

Oswego, if someone called in a structure fire for that job - they SHOULD have been arrested! No doubt about it.

Sad, actually. If the police had shot it out of the tree there would be protests, a Justice Department investigation, and Reverend Al. Since the FD did it, all we get is this thread on EMTBravo... (sigh)

People out there all night babysitting a CAT? You should put a cat in a tree on every freakin' block and start a neighborhood watch - watch the cat but don't report a crime, figures!

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Well in 20 years in the fire service I have never seen the bones of a dead cat in a tree.

I guess I would actually have to go look for one to say 'never' for myself.

Not for nothing...but is doing public service calls really all that bad? Or do we forget that they are our customers and that we owe them, not the other way around. Kudos for the quick thinking by the brothers of YFD and who looked good to the citizens for doing the right thing at that point.

[Guest]

I think if animal control is going to flip these calls to the FD, there should be some interaction between the two agencies. Some of the stranger incidents I recall are people bringing sick/injured dogs to the firehouse, and concerns of ducks that may get frozen in ponds if we don't remove them. Most of the guys are OK with animals but, without any training or guidance, ain't it a liability?

[bob803 1]

Keep checking YouTube people were videoing the whole thing

[HFD750 6]

Not for nothing...but is doing public service calls really all that bad? Or do we forget that they are our customers and that we owe them, not the other way around.

I'd have to agree... That is what were here for. We may not agree or like it, But we provide a service to the public. It's not all about fighting fires and pin jobs. It's nice when you hand a little kitten back to a little girl who had been crying for hours. But then again I'm a sucker for cats, Have two myself.

Edited September 18, 2007 by HFD750

[bifd09 0]

they were pretty lucky that they caught the cat - imagine the headlines if it splattered on the pavement. that said, the p.r. seems to be pretty good for the dept. notwithstanding the stupid 911 call.

[jd783 64]

These GREAT people (who wanted to save a cat) Called in a structure fire,before the FD pulled up the cat was the most intelligent person there

[Oswegowind 17]

Oswego someone called in a structure fire to get the FD to respond? Why is that person not in jail? That is ridiculas I am really pissed about that. I think that some letters need to be written to the police chief about that

Had nothing to do with the police. We don't dispatch the police to fire jobs...unlike other places!

Oswego, if someone called in a structure fire for that job - they SHOULD have been arrested! No doubt about it.

Sad, actually. If the police had shot it out of the tree there would be protests, a Justice Department investigation, and Reverend Al. Since the FD did it, all we get is this thread on EMTBravo... (sigh)

People out there all night babysitting a CAT? You should put a cat in a tree on every freakin' block and start a neighborhood watch - watch the cat but don't report a crime, figures!

If the cat had died, it may have taken some of the focus off the PD for at least an hour or two!

These GREAT people (who wanted to save a cat) Called in a structure fire,before the FD pulled up the cat was the most intelligent person there

I second that! Cat was so smart, that he just came down and ran away from the idiots who spent 2 days calling him. He was probably LHAO!

[Guest TOYBUFF911]

You guys are really missing the whole point. Public service does not mean public slaves. To take a 1/2 million dollar piece of equipment out of service for a nonsense cat in a tree is nuts. Police and fire are there for real emergency calls and too risk the life of someone is completely unacceptable (climbing a tree or a tower ladder for an animal). If the residents were so concerned about the cat, they could of put some money out of there pocket and flipped open that book called the yellow pages and hired a private trapper. People come before pets. And to falsely report an incident is a crime and that peron should be prosecuted.