Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <una.smith@att.net>]

Below is a press release for a course offered in Tennessee in April 2008.
I am including it here because all by itself it may be an "eye opener" for
some of your MSAR unit members.

        Una Smith
        New Mexico

Seen here:  http://www.americancowboy.com/cowboynews/news102.shtml



Large Animals Equal Large Problems
 

Everywhere in America thousands of large animals are transported through our 
communities daily. They are moving over our streets, roads and highways. 
Whenever a transportation emergency occurs, local first responders are 
called. Without specific knowledge, training and equipment, the possibility 
of the first responders becoming injured is very real.

Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue Training is the best way to protect 
the lives of the first responders as well as provide the best possible care 
for the animals involved. Trailer accidents, animals that escape their 
pasture, and barn fires are common scenarios that often result in response 
from fire and emergency services. Additionally, horses and other livestock 
fall into trenches, are stuck in confined spaces or become otherwise trapped 
in various ways. With a thorough understanding of the animals and the hazards 
they pose, common rescue techniques can be adapted with special equipment to 
achieve a safe and positive outcome.

Recent disasters have illustrated the value that humans place on their 
animals, and clearly doing nothing to help in an emergency is not an option. 
According to Mark Cole from USRider Equestrian Motor Plan (www.usrider.org), 
a nationwide roadside assistance program for equestrians that promotes Large 
Animal Rescue awareness and training,

âœWeâ™ve found that emergency responders, while trained experts in human 
rescue and extrication, often have no training in large animal rescue. 
Because of this lack of training, responders are being put at great risk. 
Moreover, in many accidents and disasters, animals without life-threatening 
injuries are being injured further or even killed by use of incorrect 
techniques.â

First responders are accustomed to victims recognizing they are present in a 
helping role. However, a large animal involved in an emergency situation is 
often in a fight or flight survival mode and could easily injure or kill a 
first responder whoâ™s trying to help. Human reaction time is no match for 
the instinctive kick of a horse. These gentle giants could simply turn or 
move and crush anyone who enters a vehicle with animals inside. Responders 
without adequate knowledge of safe, humane techniques have even been killed 
while trying to euthanize animals.

Safety starts with the implementation of the National Incident Management 
System (NIMS). An effective incident management system provides the means for 
a safe, organized and efficient rescue and allows personnel from various 
agencies to share a common communication language. The Incident Commander 
arriving on scene must perform a risk assessment. The IC must weigh the 
probability of injury to the rescuers. This risk versus gain equation must be 
evaluated and the IC must act without jeopardizing rescue personnel. If 
specially trained responders are available, with the required technical 
equipment to effect the rescue, the probability of a safe and successful 
rescue increases for both the responders and the animal.

Well-intentioned rescuers without adequate knowledge of the anatomy and 
physiology of the animal may do more harm than good. For example, a lifting 
rope placed around the lower leg of a horse could easily maim the animal, 
resulting in the need for the animal to be euthanized. All too often, the 
neck of an animal is seen as a handle and a rope attached for pulling. How 
would we respond if someone threw a rope around our neck and started pulling?

Most well-equipped technical rescue teams will already have much of the 
required equipment needed; however, additional unique pieces of equipment 
will be necessary. For instance, a large âœA❠frame tall enough and strong 
enough to lift a horse could be purchased or constructed. SCBA cylinders, 
regulators and hoses can be combined with PVC pipe to assemble a mud rescue 
kit to inject air near the feet of an animal to assist in freeing the animal. 
Telescoping poles to cut halters or pass tools or ropes through a trailer can 
be constructed to minimize risk and exposure to the rescuers. Rescue slings 
can be purchased or constructed to enable lifting of the animals while 
minimizing the danger of the animal falling during the lift. A special horse 
glide can be purchased to enable the animal to be secured to it ⓠmuch in 
the manner conventional back boards are used to stabilize humans. Ropes can 
be attached and a team of people can drag the animal to the nearest available 
transport vehicle.

Specialty courses are offered at many locations throughout the country and 
attendance could literally save the lives of those responders who attend. 
Eastern Kentucky University (www.eku.edu) has established an annual Large 
Animal Rescue training program that provides training to students in the Fire 
and Safety Engineering Technology program (www.fireandsafety.eku.edu). This 
special training is provided to the students as part of their college 
curriculum requirements. To date, approximately 100 undergraduate students 
have successfully completed the Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue 
Training.

EKUâ™s Fire and Safety Engineering Technology Program was established in 1975 
and is one of a handful of programs in the country offering undergraduate 
degrees in fire and safety. Areas of study include life safety; fire 
prevention, suppression and investigation, fire service administration; fire 
protection principles; industrial loss prevention; safety program management; 
and occupational safety and health.

To provide students the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills required 
to become proficient in the rescue of large animals, EKUâ™s Fire and Safety 
Engineering Technology Program at Eastern Kentucky University will host the 
fourth annual Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue Training next spring.

Scheduled for April 18-20, 2008, the first seminar is reserved as an elective 
for fire sciences students at EKU. The second seminar, April 22-24, 2008, is 
open to the public, with emphasis on recruiting fire and EMT responders, 
veterinarians and others. The training will educate fire/rescue personnel, 
first responders, veterinarians and horse enthusiasts about techniques and 
procedures to assist large animals involved in transportation accidents and 
other emergencies. Instruction will cover the use of sedatives and 
tranquilizers, chemical restraint, rescue ropes and knots, rescue from horse 
barn fires, mud rescue, helicopter rescue and water rescue, among other 
situations. The training, which consists of 30 hours of classroom instruction 
and hands-on training, qualifies each student to receive FSE 489 credit for 
the class. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, each large-animal 
emergency rescue seminar is limited to 30 participants. Be sure to call and 
reserve your space today.

A separate session on HAZMAT Decontamination of Large Animals is scheduled 
for the morning of April 25. This free session will cover the issues related 
to rescuing large animals that have encountered chemical, biological or 
radiological contamination.

For additional information or to register for the training, contact Mr. 
Michael Shane LaCount at (859) 622-1009.