ARCHIVE EQUINE NEWS STORIES

Story: Jackie Bellamy-Zions

Don’t let an emergency situation catch you off guard. Having basic training and the right tools at hand can allow you to handle an emergency with the clarity and logic required. Being prepared can mean the difference between life and death for both the large animal in peril and the human intent on saving it. Equine Guelph is pleased to offer a two and a half day Animal Rescue Operational Level Course held at the Meaford Fire Department Training Centre in Meaford, ON, November 17 -19, 2017.

This Large Animal Rescue course will appeal to a wide audience as it will be offered to hands-on participants for $295 + hst and auditors at $175 + hst. Topics covered will be useful for first responders, pre-service, law enforcement, animal control officers, veterinarians, vet. technicians, emergency animal response teams, horse owners, livestock producers and associations. All registrants must be 18 years of age. The course will be subject to registration numbers and the hands-on participants will be limited to 30 students.

Topics include: fire and emergency preparedness, trailer safety, containment methods of large animals, introduction to mud and trench rescue, working within the incident command system, medical concerns during emerging situation, and livestock behaviour in stressful situations. What past students are saying:

“A successful emergency rescue is about 90 percent preparation and 10% action,” says Ontario SPCA officer Bonnie Bishop.

“Pre-incident planning is crucial for any farm owner,” says Deborah Chute, owner and operator of Laurenwood Stables and a volunteer firefighter with the Adjala-Tosorontio Fire Department, “Farms by their very nature contain many hazards to humans, animals and the environment, and careful planning before the event of an emergency can save lives and property.

Coverage of a past training course: http://barrie.ctvnews.ca/fire-crews-train-to-rescue-large-animals-during-emergencies-1.3391825

Lead instructor Victor MacPherson looks forward to the training opportunities that will be afforded by running the course in late November, “we will be training in realistic conditions with real life scenarios − both daytime and nighttime operations.”

MacPherson has been involved with Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue since 2013 and has completed several training courses in both awareness and operational levels. He has assisted in training and facilitating courses with both Equine Guelph and Dr. Rebecca Gimenez (TLAER Inc.). Victor has been involved in operational rescues.

MacPherson has been with the Adjala-Tosorontio Fire Department for the past 24 years and District Fire Chief for past 19. This municipality covers 400 kilometers; and runs approximately 250 calls a year, from Community Service to house fires, and car accidents. Victor is also an employee with City of Vaughan Fire as a Master Emergency Vehicle Technician for past 17 years. Victor is Ex-military as a retired Master Corporal, attached to armoured units and acquired his military mechanics license for armoured vehicles. He has serviced with NATO in Europe.

If you have questions related to the course please contact Dr. Susan Raymond slraymon@uoguelph.ca or 519-824-4120 ext 54230.

To register for this course or get the Course flyer.

This course qualifies for continuing education credits

Equine Guelph is the horse owners' and care givers' Centre at the University of Guelph. It is a unique partnership dedicated to the health and well-being of horses, supported and overseen by equine industry groups. Equine Guelph is the epicentre for academia, industry and government – for the good of the equine industry as a whole.

For further information, visit TheHorsePortal.ca.