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BARTA featured in Emergency Services Times

Posted on 14/10/2019 by Neil

Recent fire and rescue service National Operational Guidance (NOG) has allowed emergency managers and responders to reflect on a change of language from purely ‘animal rescue’ to ‘Incidents Involving Animals’. The principle behind this is to demonstrate how emergency responders may be exposed to animals, with associated risks and challenges, at almost any foreseeable incident type. BARTA (British Animal Rescue and Trauma Care Association) is developing situational awareness training for first responders, firstly to recognise and plan for potential animal encounters and then understand how animals might impact operational decision-making and tactical planning. The new awareness package will be launched formally in the early part of 2020 and features contributions from many of BARTA’s stakeholders, making this an interactive session based on recognisable scenarios within the emergency service sector. 10 step process Core to understanding how animals will impact operational … Continue reading →

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Connecting with the Experts

Posted on 27/08/2019 by Neil

BARTA would like to say a huge thank you to Ray Girotti and the team at Lumbry Park Veterinary Specialists, Alton, for hosting a meeting this week to establish a standards committee for pre-veterinary Immediate Emergency Care. At the meeting were critical care specialists Adam Mugford and Dominic Barfield, critical care nursing specialist Belinda Andrews-Jones, Barta’s Jim Green and Neil Rae and Dr Nicola Housby-Skeggs veterinary director at the Horse Trust and BARTA advisor (pictured above). As national operational guidance requires emergency responders to support pets before they reach veterinary care, BARTA are creating role specific training for the emergency services with assistance from UK specialists and collaboration with worldwide critical care experts. Pets will be in safer hands as a result of this level of expertise!

Posted in Blog | Tagged Animal Rescue Practitioners Forum, BARTA, Fire Service Training, Jim Green, Lumbry Park, National Fire Chiefs Council, NFCC, Small Animal Rescue, Smokey Paws | Comments Off

Smokey Paws Multi Agency Training Day

Posted on 04/07/2019 by Neil

At a recent weekend multi agency training day BARTA teamed up with the wonderful team at Smokey Paws, a non-profit organisation, to create a new training resource for first responders who use Smokey Paws oxygen therapy masks when pets are involved in emergencies and disasters. This is the beginning of a suite of training offerings from BARTA who are developing the trauma care aspect of Incidents Involving Animals in line with National Operational Guidance for the fire and rescue service. BARTA Director Jim Green said, “Provision of oxygen therapy masks for pets through charitable donations is a really worthy cause and allows emergency services to give greater support to families in trouble by helping their pets too. With 50% of households owning animals and many regarded as family members, there is a societal expectation, legal and moral duty for responders to … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog | Tagged animal rescue, BARTA, British Animal Rescue and Trauma Care, BVA, Canine Mannequin, Cat first aid, Dealing with incidents involving animals, Dog first aid, Emergency Responder Training, Emergency Services Show, helping pets in fires, incidents involving animals - meeting societal needs, Jim Green, Josh Slater, National Fire Chiefs Council, O2 for pets, Oxygen therapy for pets, RSPCA, Smokey Paws | Comments Off

Fire and Vet Liaison Evening

Posted on 21/06/2019 by Neil

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) hosted a veterinary liaison evening in conjunction with BARTA this month. Hosted at Winchester Fire Station and sponsored by Vestaplas, Farm and Stable, the evening attracted 18 members of 8 large animal veterinary practices that support the Hampshire Animal Rescue Team at large animal rescues. The purpose of the meeting was to build relationships, understand each other’s capabilities and discuss ways to support each other in dealing with animal rescues as efficiently and safely as possible. During a panel discussion, useful topics such as escorting vets to reach the scene of a road incident, creating a patient handover record for the owners regular vet and how to manage people at the scene of an incident were discussed, along with other questions that arose from past experiences. Hampshire’s experienced animal rescue team demonstrated some of … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog | Tagged animal rescue, BARTA, BCVA, BEVA, British Animal Rescue and Trauma Care, British Animal Rescue and Trauma Care Association, Dealing with incidents involving animals, Emergency Responder Training, Emergency Services Show, Hannah Buteux, Horse Mannequin, Jim Green, National Fire Chiefs Council, The Horse Trust, Vet Medical Training, Vet PPE, Vet Safety | Comments Off

Promoting Safe and Legal Towing

Posted on 31/05/2019 by Neil

Jim Green Director of BARTA met with Sarah Smithurst and Julie Pywell of the National Trailer and Towing Association (NTTA) at the Horse Trust site in Buckinghamshire recently to look at opportunities to work together.Both BARTA and the NTTA are members of the National Towing Working Group (NTWG), who in April officially launched their Safety Framework at the newly formed All-Party Parliamentary Group on Trailer and Towing Safety at the House of Commons. Jim said; ” Many unwanted situations occur on UK roads with equine or livestock trailers. Incidents like these affect both lives and livelihoods and work is underway to discover the causes. Naturally, BARTA and the NTTA have come together in collaboration to promote education and research for this particular sector of the towing community. I am convinced that our common passion and desire to make the towing of animals safer will lead to new … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog | Tagged BARTA, Horse Trust, Horsebox Safety, Jim Green, NTTA, NTWG, Road Safty, Safer Towing, Sarah Smithurst, Towing Horseboxes, Trailer and Towing Safety, Trailer APPG | Comments Off

Canine Encounters BARTA/Resquip Mannequin

Posted on 17/09/2018 by Neil

Following on from the successful development of both the horse and cow mannequins that are already in use with response teams around the world, the operational and behavioural experts from BARTA and the designers from Resquip have collaborated on and developed a canine encounters mannequin. Designed for realistic and practical emergency response based training, the Labrador sized, fully articulated mannequin is a great addition to the range. Whether sitting, standing or using the aggressive or passive head that is supplied, it allows responders to learn and train for rescue, restraint and canine first aid both safely and effectively. The mannequin is used on our Canine Encounters Intermediate module. A 1 day course suitable for emergency responders who are required to assess and interact with canines as part of their operational role. If you want to find out more click here: … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog | Tagged animal rescue, Battersea Dogs Home, British Animal Rescue and Trauma Care Association, BVA, Canine Mannequin, Dealing with incidents involving animals, Dog training, Dogs Trust, Emergency Responder Training, Emergency Services Show, ESS 2018, Jim Green, National Fire Chiefs Council, Resquip, RSPCA | Comments Off

Wildfires – a personal story

Posted on 07/08/2018 by Neil

This time last year Jim Green our Director of Operations and his family were in California whilst Jim was working for the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Doctor’s John Madigan and Claudia Sonder invited me to support them in further integrating animal issues during emergencies and disasters within the veterinary and first responder communities. The year was deemed to be exceptional in regard to disaster in northern California with extreme incidences of both fire and flood. During the 2017 wildfires in Sonoma County, myself and the Student Veterinary Emergency Team led by Dr John Madigan supported Animal Control at shelters and behind evacuation lines. They provided welfare and evacuation for animals left behind as the fires overran communities with speed and unpredictability. In 2018 those extreme fires have returned and as I write this families are without homes, emergency … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog | Tagged animal rescue, animal rescue in the USA, BARTA, BCVA, BEVA, British Animal Rescue and Trauma Care, BVA, Dealing with incidents involving animals, Emergency Responder Training, Jim Green, Josh Slater, National Fire Chiefs Council, The Horse Trust, UC Davis Incidents involving animals, wildfires | Comments Off

Wearing PPE… a culture change for vets

Posted on 16/04/2018 by Neil

The culture is changing in the veterinary industry as a whole and wearing helmets is now common and becoming normal. This is mainly because of mandatory policies in relation to competitions and local policies set at many yards. BEVA is raising awareness of the importance of equine behaviour modification, equine behaviour assessment, risk assessment and risk reduction (including PPE and helmets). Professor Josh Slater says, “The time is right for the equine vet profession to fully engage with helmet use. Our vet schools all have helmet policies, some mandatory (i.e. wear helmets at all times when working around animals) and others are risk based, but each year of new graduates from 2018 onward will be “used to wearing helmets.” “The really pleasing thing is that students seem to be embracing helmets and we certainly don’t see any signs of reluctance … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog | Tagged animal rescue, BARTA, BCVA, BEVA, Britishanimal Rescue and Trauma Care Association, BVA, Equine Training, Future Safety, Jim Green, Josh Slater, National Fire Chiefs Council, NFCC, Professor Josh Slater, RVC, Safety Helmets, Vet Medical Training, Vet PPE, Vet Safety | Comments Off

National Equine Forum

Posted on 10/04/2018 by Neil

Jim Green, Director of BARTA was awarded the Sir Colin Spedding Award for equine welfare at the 25th National Equine Forum in 2017 and was invited to deliver the memorial lecture in the presence of HRH The Princess Royal at this year’s event. This was held at the 26th National Equine Forum on the 8th March 2018 at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in Westminster, London. Jim talked about the history of the rescue initiative, current provision in the UK and future challenges. The event was live-streamed and Jim also spoke to HorseHour about the animal incidents that he has attended and the initiatives that he has been involved in… 26th National Equine Forum 2018 Live Stream (recorded) HorseHour Podcast

Posted in Blog | Tagged animal rescue, BARTA, BCVA, BEVA, British Animal Rescue and Trauma Care, BVA, Josh Slater, National Equine Forum, National Fire Chiefs Council, NFCC, RVC | Comments Off

Golden Time Concept

Posted on 07/12/2017 by Neil

Dr Emma Punt is the research lead for BARTA as well as being a McTimoney equine and canine chiropractor. The ‘Golden Time’ treatment concept was first presented at BARTA’s 2017 conference at University College Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, California in October. In this post Emma shares her vision for how vets and McTimoney therapists should rethink their approach to post-trauma care. The 2-6 weeks after the incident is the ‘Golden Time’ when a horse would hugely benefit from being assessed by a vet and a physical therapist such as a chiropractor in order to improve outcomes and manage owner/rider expectations. This is the period when Emma believes a partnership approach between vets and chiropractors could make a huge difference. At conference Emma presented the preliminary results from a UK wide survey that she initiated with Nottingham Trent University. The … Continue reading →