Vicki Schmidt is from Maine and has come down to teach Bedford volunteer firefighters how to handle horses in emergency situations. It's part of a large animal rescue course they've been taking all weekend.
"It takes a special technique to remove this animal in a situation where it's in distress,” said Special Operations Unit Chief Monty Coleman.
Coleman says several times a year, they are called to rescue a horse or cow from a ravine, creek, or dangerous situation.
Here firefighters learn how to set up and operate a hoisting system to lift an animal from any type of hole. The volunteers see how using the complicated pulley system would make it easier to free a large animal.
"The biggest thing we find when it come to emergency responders is getting our people comfortable around the animals, know how to approach the animal to keep them in their comfort zone so we don't kicked or bit,” said Coleman.
Schmidt shows the EMS workers how to ease the animal's stress. She says scratching their neck, speaking calmly, and feeding can make the job easier. Then they learn how to properly put on harnesses and straps that would be used to lift a large animal.
"She showed us how to utilize fire equipment we have on the truck that we do for everyday rescues. She showed us how to applying it to a horse or a large animal,” said Firefighter James Parker.
He admits he's not familiar with horse and has learned a lot.
"Now we know how to apply it to a large animal. What is the best place to attach that equipment, what to do, how to pad, how to deal with the owners, how to deal with the public,” said Parker.
Parker says all of the techniques they've learned will help keep the and his buddies stay safe while trying to rescue local farm animals.
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