Snake calls a burden for firefighters

I always hear about all the foolish things people call 911 over, but I just couldn't imagine calling the Fire Dept. because a snake was in my yard, even if I didn't keep them.
I know one thing though, if catching 1,600 snakes a year was part of the job I'd love to be working for the Scottsdale fire department.

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For many Valley residents, the sight of a rattlesnake coiled under the chaparral can send them running to 911.

However, fire departments that cover neighborhoods in north Scottsdale, Fountain Hills and new developments such as Anthem, say those snake calls can be troublesome because they take fire units out of service.

Experts suggest leaving snakes alone and using emergency first responders as a last resort if the snake is inside, near a building or if someone suffers a snakebite. Otherwise, those snakes, which are more prominent with warmer weather, are going to be dropped off in the desert, only to come back.

"All we're going to do is put it back where it came from," said Rural/Metro Fire Capt. Steve Boyer, whose Fountain Hills units respond to as many as a dozen snake calls per day.

"We're not like the Pied Piper, leading all the snakes out of town."

Fountain Hills Rural/Metro firefighters were called out on 829 snake calls in 2005, officials said. The number was 263 less than the previous year, as more residents are learning to live with snakes on their upscale properties.

Residents of towns such as Fountain Hills see a lot of snakes, from the western diamondback to common gopher snakes, many of which are simply living in their natural desert environment.

That urban-rural interface leads to strange encounters.

"We've had cases where the snakes have found their way in through doggy-doors," Boyer said. "We encounter quite a few that are in the garage."

Fire stations in Scottsdale catch as many as eight snakes per day this time of year, or roughly 1,600 per year, officials said.

If a resident calls the Fire Department complaining about a snake on the property, such as the vast multi-acre lots that comprise luxurious north Scottsdale, an engine company will roll without lights and siren, if nobody has been injured.

If a more pressing emergency comes across the radio, the crew will leave the snake call. Oftentimes, three or four firefighters will roll on calls from concerned residents, only to find the snake long-gone by the time they arrive.

"If the snake is in a desert area, there's no need for the snake to be moved," Scottsdale Deputy Fire Chief Garret Olson said.

"Seeing a snake is common and is not always a hazard that requires a response."

For an alternative to calling the Fire Department's non-emergency number, the Arizona Herpetological Association will make free house calls to identify and remove snakes.

Daisy Mountain Fire Department, which covers New River and Anthem, responds to 10 to 15 snake calls each week.

New construction in those communities tends to produce even more snakes, Daisy Mountain Fire Capt. Dennis Tyrrell said.

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I live in Montana. Similar to this, more and more people want their home in the wilderness and more and more people are building closer to wilderness areas. They then have the hubris to complain about bears, foxes, coyotes, deer and moose, etc. on "their" land.

Originally Posted by coyote

more and more people want their home in the wilderness and more and more people are building closer to wilderness areas. They then have the hubris to complain about bears, foxes, coyotes, deer and moose, etc. on "their" land.

That's because most people don't think beyond tomorrow. And the rest of them that move to those areas are idiots if they don't make allowances for the wildlife they may encounter.

This article is related so I decided to add it to this thread. The last line mentions that the snakes are normally released back into the wild.
Good to know they aren't just being killed.

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A rattlesnake that settled into a home-remodeling project in the Foothills soon will be making a new home 1,000 miles from Tucson at a Texas research facility.

The rattler was one of four Western Diamondbacks caught recently by Rural/Metro firefighters and donated to the Natural Toxins Research Center at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. The center houses more than 400 venomous snakes of all types, said Elda Sanchez, assistant director.

"They are an important part of our ecology, and although their venom can be dangerous to humans, it may also be useful," she said. The researcher received permission from authorities to collect a few snakes from the Fire Department's recent catch.

At the research center, scientists isolate the chemical components of the snakes' venom and try to learn their biomedical effects, Sanchez said. Because snake venom keeps blood from clotting normally, it's useful in studying strokes and heart attacks, she said.

"They're telling us what's in the venom, and we're trying to use that to help our patients," said Jude McNally, managing director of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center.
Local scientists are working to develop a new antivenin based on the research, he said.

The local snakes, which are 2 to 3 feet long, will be milked once a month for their venom, Sanchez said. They will be quarantined for one month before joining other snakes at the Texas facility. Researchers have a permit for up to eight snakes.
They are just a few of the 50 snakes picked up by firefighters on Saturday and Sunday, said Rural/Metro Fire Department Battalion Chief Rick Flores. May is early in the snake season, and more calls are coming in.

Crews usually release captured snakes back into the wild.

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