Firefighters already provide lifesaving services to people in Volusia County. Now, they're adding another service: scanning for microchips when people find pets they believe are lost.
The county’s animal services and fire department have launched a program to train firefighters in the use of microchip scanners. Microchips for pets have been around for years, but the firefighters' involvement in such a program is new.
All 20 county fire stations will have staff trained in the use of microchip scanners. Beginning on Sept. 1, residents who find pets that seem lost can bring them to fire stations for microchip scanning.
“As many people know, microchipping is the only permanent method for identifying pets in our community,” said Volusia County spokesman Gary Davidson in a press release.