Large Animal Rescue

Many departments may believe that their response areas are not rural so a Large Animal Rescue (LAR) call may never happen.  However, large animals are transported throughout the country in urban, suburban, and rural areas. This doesn’t mean that every department needs to run out purchase all the LAR equipment and send all their personnel tech training.  It means you should have an awareness level of large animals, the trailers they are transported in, and the equipment used in LAR.

Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue (TLAER TM)

Below is the mission statement of the Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue:
TLAER, Inc. works to provide education and outreach nationwide and internationally for emergency responders (whether local, state or organizational) in safer and more efficient ways to prevent prepare and respond to large animal incidents on our highways, communities and facilities, based on cutting-edge research and development.

TLAER courses are offered at the Awareness level (interested personnel from all organizations and response levels,) Operations level (hands-on, intense training events with live horses intended for live responders,) and Technician level (for USAR teams only.)

Rescue Systems

• Becker Sling
• The glide mat system

Resources

• Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue (Website)
• Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue (Facebook Page)
• Understanding the Horse Trailer Rig
• Häst Large Animal Rescue Equipment

LAR News Articles

• Medicine Hat firefighters over the weekend helped save a Clydesdale horse
• Lexington police horse rescued after leg trapped in open utility hole

Updated LAR Rescue:

The Facebook post below is from a Large Animal Rescue where the hind leg of the horse was stuck in a hole.

HydraFusion Strut Ram

The HydraFusion Struts were a game changer when PARATECH released the lifting/stabilizing device a few years back at FDIC. Rescuers can lift up to 10 U.S. Tons (9 metric tons) and to stabilize up to 20,000 lbs. with the tool. However, PARATECH’s HydraFusion Struts are not limited to just those two functions. The HydraFusion Struts can move metal!

I first ran across pictures of HydraFusion Struts used as ram from pictures that Brock Archer (Advanced Extrication) and Randy Schmitz ( Founder/Owner of Schmitz Mittz). Last weekend at Crunchtime Extrication, Paratech had one of their trailers at the training event and I had the chance to try a dash roll with a HydraFusion Strut. Take a look at the video below.

A few quick points:

• You can put the HydraFusion Strut in place to reduce any dash movement during reliefs cuts.
• HydraFusion Strut are portable and can be moved quickly to a vehicle hundreds of feet of the roadway.
• Depending on the length of the HydraFusion Strut used, strut extensions can be used to optimize dash movement.
• Using a HydraFusion Strut as a ram is an option, not always the option.

Tree Climber Rescue

Checkout the two videos below with some great game plans and tips on rescuing someone out of a tree or hanging in a harness after falling out of a hunting blind.

Harness Induced Pathology is a silent killer in High Angle Rope Rescue, it can also be known as Harness hanging syndrome, Suspension Trauma, Suspension Induced Shock, and Etc.

Skeletal-muscle pump

Did you know that your muscle help pump the blood thru your body? The skeletal-muscle pump is a collection of skeletal muscles that aid the heart in the circulation of blood. It is especially important in increasing venous return to the heart, but may also play a role in arterial blood flow.

Reference material:

• Here is a link to a great article called Suspension trauma on the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s website.
• While the post, Best Safety’s Chip Macdonald reviews the CMC / ROCO FreeTech™ Harness is an advertisement/product review.  Chip put a great deal of useful information in it worth a read.

Below is a PowerPoint on the effects of falling.