By Allison T. Williams
Daily Press
ISLE OF WIGHT, Va. — Firefighters and police officers are trained to save lives.
But the job becomes a bit more challenging when rescuers arriving at emergencies find that their distressed victims don’t speak the same language, often weigh more than 1,000 pounds - and have four legs.
The Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office receives a couple of calls a month involving livestock - horses, cows, goats and, occasionally, pigs, said county animal control chief Ed Sullivan.
“We really have more accidents involving deer than livestock,” Sullivan said.
But he still vividly remembers an accident that he worked about five years ago, when a black horse - running loose - was killed after it stepped in front of a car late one night.
Most calls come from motorists who might have seen a cow on the lam from its pasture enjoying grass along a heavily traveled road. And though infrequent, accidents involving overturned trailers transporting pigs and horses have occurred in the county.
That’s one reason the Isle of Wight County Equine Task Force and the county’s Department of Economic Development are teaming up to offer the county’s first-responders a chance to attend a free course in large-animal rescue. It will be the first time that the training has been provided in Hampton Roads.
The three-day class will include two nights of class training, from 6 to 10 p.m. March 12 and 13, and eight hours of hands-on training at Thunderhorse Farm in Zuni on March 14. The class is free to first-responders and is limited to 40 people.
The training will be taught by Maryland-based Days End Farm Horse Rescue, one of a few organizations nationwide that provide the specialized training.
Topics to be covered include horse characteristics and behavior, emergency halters and lead lines, emergency-scene management, trailer operations, basic emergency kits and the use of specialized equipment, such as ropes and slings.
Brooke Vrany, director of emergency service programs at Days End, said she thought that it was critical for rural communities to have a team of first-responders trained for large-animal rescues.
“You need to know how to get to a horse that is down quickly, efficiently and safely,” Vrany said. “This class will provide an in-depth look at ways to do that.”
Vrany said her organization was called upon about 20 times a month to assist large-animal rescues around Maryland. About 90 percent of the calls are for horses, she said.
Sullivan said he intended to enroll at least two animal control officers in the class. He’s hoping that deputies and volunteer fire departments will send representatives.
“It’s important to learn the correct way to remove animals from dangerous, undesirable situations,” he said.
Carrollton Volunteer Fire Department Chief Joel Acree thought that the techniques learned could be helpful for his team.
“I think it would definitely provide valuable information for rescuers,” he said. “I suspect some of the techniques learned could be adapted to other situations we face.”