Did you say “dog resuscitation”?

I recently had the pleasure of producing a DVD about dog resuscitation. Yep. That’s what I said. Well...it was actually a training video about resuscitating both dogs and cats. And yes, it was a pleasure to produce.

You see the people that I was working for are really passionate about the video and its purpose. They know that when firefighters are fighting house or apartment fires, they sometimes come across pets that are suffering from smoke inhalation. In order to save these pets, special ventilation masks that are designed to fit the muzzles of small animals are required. My clients had also learned that fire districts are hesitant to carry the masks on their trucks if the crew has not had training in their proper use. Makes sense. So the DVD is good way to provide the training firefighters need to use the masks confidently.

Next problem -- some “old school” firefighters are resistant to the idea of spending time and energy saving animals when they are technically charged with saving human life and property. This was an important insight into the motivations of the video’s audience. We decided to start the video with a firefighter talking right to the camera and explaining how losing a pet only adds to the emotional devastation of those that have experienced a house fire. In other words, saving their pets is a way of helping the human victims better recovery from their tragedy.

I’m glad I often get to work for people that are passionate about what they do, and I’m glad I’m passionate about what I do. I’ve never been the legalist on the crew that points to the contract and says, “but that isn’t part of the job.” Passion about one’s work is something all of us can use, especially in times when the economy is slow and doing business is not all that easy. It keeps us going. And whether times are bad or good, passion is always something our clients appreciate and remember when they have an opportunity to pass on our business card.