ARCHIVE EQUINE NEWS STORIES

For Immediate Release - October 11, 2018

Story: Henrietta Coole

Guelph, Ontario – Equine Guelph has received funding from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership Program to deliver comprehensive community-based training in the equine emergency management category with a focus on fire and emergency preparedness.

“When it comes to risk mitigation issues such as barn fire prevention and emergency planning, we are learning that there are sometimes barriers for the livestock/equine industries to take preventative actions on their farms,” says Gayle Ecker, director of Equine Guelph. “While fact sheets and checklists are helpful, we believe that to achieve transformative behaviour, the training needs to go deeper in a more community-based, expert-led environment – either face-to-face or online where people can come together to share their ideas, encouragement, challenges and expertise.”

The program kicks off with on the weekend of October 12-14 with a hands-on Large Animal Rescue Training workshop at the Meaford Fire Department Training Centre to train 30 first responders and horse caregivers in emergency rescue and fire prevention. The registration fee for the event is $295 and further details can be found at www.TheHorsePortal.ca .

The Fire & Emergency Preparedness Pilot Project will continue this winter with online training on TheHorsePortal.ca for both horse caregivers and first responders. Equine Guelph will also provide training materials to fire departments across Ontario to host grassroots presentations and distribute resources to horse farm owners in their home communities.

This program is funded in part through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership Program, a provincial-territorial initiative. The Agricultural Adaptation Council assists in the delivery of CAP in Ontario. Collaborating partners include Ontario Equestrian and Ontario Racing. Other industry partners include: Standardbred Canada, Workplace Safety & Prevention Services, Intercity Insurance Services, Meaford Fire Department Training Centre, Farm & Food Care Ontario, Ontario Association of Equine Practitioners, Equestrian Canada, Ontario Veterinary College, Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Professional Livestock Auditing Inc.