DECEMBER 2017 THE RIDER /13


Large Animal Emergency Rescue Course


Guelph - ON The unfortu- nate disasters in Alberta, California, and Florida clearly show that many peo- ple were willing to go to great lengths to rescue their animals — many risking se- rious personal injury or worse. When any disaster strikes, an “incident involv- ing animals” can quickly become an “incident involv- ing people who are trying to save the animals”. The pub- lic has strong expectations when it comes to animal welfare and proper training for emergency rescue of large animals is a crucial el- ement. First responders in Ontario now have an in- creased level of knowledge thanks to over 30 keen, hardy participants and an experienced team of train- ers.


Presented by Equine


Guelph and the Meaford Fire Department, Nov 17 - 19, their large animal rescue course covered many topics including animal behavior in stressful situations and how to keep handlers and first responders safe. Atten- tion was also paid to keep- ing the people who own and care deeply about their ani- mals out of harm’s way. Major topics covered in- cluded best practices for large animal technical res- cue, fire prevention plus personal safety and related animal behavior and care is- sues.


“We feel strongly that


this training is of benefit for all fire departments to help their communities, and we are very proud of the strong relationship that Equine Guelph has developed with Chief Granahan and the Meaford Fire Department and Training Centre so that this training can be offered and developed, says Gayle Ecker, director of Equine Guelph. “The facility at Meaford is excellent and we had a wonderful team of in- structors and support crew.” Classic Towing made


$1.25 million worth of equipment available for the course plus very experi- enced tow operators includ- ing the well-known Bubba Semple from the TV show Heavy Rescue 401. McKin- non Transport brought a livestock hauler. Allan McKinnon and Bubba Sem- ple both took part in class presentations explaining the capabilities of their equip- ment and safety aspects of hauling animals. “All large animal inci-


dents regardless of cause or scope, present a risk of in- jury to responders,” says course facilitator, Dr. Susan


Raymond in her presenta- tion on best practices. “Through proper training and the use of specialized rescue equipment we signif- icantly mitigate these risks and improve the odds of a favorable outcome for both animals and responders. By keeping responders safe, we improve our capacity to keep animals safe.” Knowledge, practice


and application was the goal attained over the 3-day course. After learning about the incident command sys- tem and the equipment they would be using, participants worked through “real-life” scenarios including a mud rescue and several different ways to perform drags, lifts and assists. The anatomy lessons made it clear that tails, legs and necks are not handles and thinking other- wise can produce dreadful or fatal results. Safe attach- ment methods for straps and support were explained by lead instructor Victor Ma c P h e r s o n ,Ad j a l a - Tosorontio District Fire Chief and the assistant in- structors. “The instructors were


Fire Departments Chatsworth,


knowledgeable in their fields and it truly was one of the best courses I’ve ever at- tended,” said Kris Mc- Carthy, Toronto Mounted Police. Participants came from in


Ramara,


Burlington, Fort Erie, Rideau Lakes, Meaford, Searchmont as well as Mounted Police


from


Hamilton and Toronto and Ontario Mounted Special Service Unit. Students also included a veterinarian, vet- erinary technician and horse owners. The hands-on large animal rescue course cer- tainly delivered realistic conditions that first respon- ders might encounter in- cluding rain, snow and wind but the damp muddy condi- tions did not dampen any- one’s


enthusiasm to


participate in the situations as teams worked together planning and executing safe rescue techniques. “Equine Guelph has


been hosting Large Animal Rescue workshops for four years and this is our second successful course held in Meaford,” says Ecker. “We are pleased with the positive feedback and inquiries for more training coming from communities committed to proactive training to support the health and welfare of horses and livestock in On- tario.” Equine Guelph extends


its thanks to Scott Grana-


han, Chief of Meaford Fire Department and the team of knowl- edgeable instructors for the incredible 3-days of training: Vic- tor MacPherson, Susan Raymond, Beverley Sheremeto, Robert Nagle, Wendy McIsaac-Swackhamer, Katherine Hoffman and Chris Watson. Stay tuned to EquineGuelph.ca for the next course offering


announcement.


Knowledge, Practice and Application at


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