Yes - they needed to do that. They knew you could be light-headed and not thinking clearly because of the gas leak, never mind because of your recent surgery. Their job is to get you - the human - out to safety, then to assess the situation. Kitties being lower to the ground may react differently,, I don't know, but firefighter's training and instinct is to first get people to safety.

Glad you and the kitties and pup are all okay.