Milestone for BARTA – UK’s first Large Animal Rescue Instructor Course

UK wide standardisation of large animal rescue training for fire and rescue services took a step closer this month as the first BARTA Accredited Instructors course was delivered to firefighters from South Wales, Cheshire, Buckinghamshire, Derbyshire and Hertfordshire. 

BARTA’s Jim Green reflected on the achievement,

“In 2008 fire and rescue services began collaborating to develop standard training and protocols for large animal rescue. Since then almost all UK fire authorities have adopted large animal rescue response models. 

Operational learning has taught us that incidents involving animals is a broader subject area and impacts many more responder groups than just firefighters. BARTA was established to provide coordination for this expanding initiative together with partners and stakeholders from the rescue, veterinary and welfare communities. Through collaboration we have further developed policy, training and guidance, building on those early training offerings and aligning with UK fire and rescue service national operational guidance.”

“A missing element has been a formal instructor course and we are proud to have achieved this goal. This is an opportunity to embed gold standard practices and standardised resources across the UK. Following the course instructors have access to a wide range of teaching and assessment materials through BARTA’s online hub which will ensure not only will they be able to teach the same message as their colleagues, additionally any new procedures, equipment or techniques become immediately available to the growing group of accredited instructors across the UK”

Watch Manager Jay Roxburgh from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said of the course;

“Animal Rescue Team Leaders from Cheshire recently attended the five day BARTA Instructors course. This has allowed us to review the way we deliver internal training and to standardise our approach to casualty/welfare led rescues.

All three instructors felt that they had developed their underpinning knowledge and feel supported by BARTA in developing our future training for Cheshire.”