By Bill Carey
FireRescue1
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — The Seminole County Fire Department recently partnered with the University of Florida’s Veterinary Emergency Treatment Center for advanced training in large animal rescues.
The training equips firefighters to handle animal-related emergencies, especially in rural areas, the department stated in a press release.
In the past three months, the department’s Large Animal Rescue Team responded to at least three large animal rescues in the Geneva area.
“We have a lot of specialized teams at the Seminole County Fire Department and animal rescues is just one,” Lieutenant Steve Vasey said. “Having the subject matter experts and instructors from the University of Florida was extremely beneficial to our crews and this is a training opportunity we have offered in the past and has paid off.”
Members of the Seminole County Fire Department’s large animal rescue team responded after the cow got stuck trying to get a drink from a nearby pond
Dozens of firefighters practiced essential rescue techniques, including assembling a Portable High Point Operations pulley system to safely lift large animals. Typically, large animal rescues involve two to three responders, who are trained to give the animal space to calm down after being freed.
While very few cats need help down from trees these days, first responders are often called to aid an injured, sick or stuck animal – and benefit from the halo effect
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