Registration is now open for an annual large animal rescue training opportunity for first responders, emergency medical technicians, veterinarians, firefighters, and other emergency/rescue personnel. Technical Large-Animal Emergency Rescue Training is provided cooperatively by USRider and Eastern Kentucky University (EKU).

Two rescue training seminars have been scheduled for March 2010. The first course, scheduled for March 22-24, 2010, is open to the public, with emphasis on recruiting fire and EMT responders, veterinarians, and others. This seminar will also include a separate session on HAZMAT decontamination of large animals on the morning of March 25. The HAZMAT session will cover issues related to rescuing large animals that have encountered chemical, biological, or radiological contamination. In addition to training participants, local and state emergency preparedness officials are encouraged to attend. The second large-animal rescue training seminar, scheduled for March 26-28, 2010, is reserved for EKU students. These classes fill quickly, so those interested in attending are encouraged to enroll now.

The large-animal rescue training educates 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 covers 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. Specially trained demonstration animals brought in to help provide realistic hands-on training during the seminars.

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