GUELPH – Waiting until the wildfire approaches dangerously close is no time to draw up a disaster preparedness plan.
Learning the hazards of storing hay is too late after the barn is reduced to ashes and all is lost.
It is not a scenario that one fathoms will ever happen to them, until it does.
Equine Guelph’s October healthcare tool of the month is the free, interactive Barn Fire Prevention tool.
This is a good place to start before signing up for the HorsePortal.ca Fire and Emergency Preparedness one-week short online course set to begin Oct. 5.
Returning expert guest speaker Rebecca Gimenez-Husted will be available all week to provide insight and answer questions.
Gimenez has travelled the world providing training in Technical Large Animal Rescue Techniques (TLAER website) and has published numerous critiques, techniques and journal articles on the topic.
As a volunteer firefighter in Gray, GA, Gimenez is doing reasearch and development work with University of Edinburgh (UK), EKU (KY) and several veterinary schools.
A past Logistics Officer for FEMA’s Veterinary Medical Assistance Team (VMAT -2), decorated combat veteran and a Major in the US Army Reserves (retired); Gimenez offers a wealth of information and is active in various organizations related to disaster preparedness.
The Fire and Emergency Preparedness course has a strong focus on prevention but also contains an abundance of information that can ensure if the unthinkable happens students are in a position to do everything to improve the odds of a successful outcome.
For more information on fire and emergency preparedness visit Equine Guelph’s Barn Fire Prevention Tool and sign up for the one week online short course, Oct. 5 to 13 at TheHorsePortal.ca.
