RCVS Fellows Day
Jim, Nicky and Adam participated in a panel discussion which focussed on the role of the veterinary professional during a civil emergency. This was during the prestigious RCVS Fellows Day which celebrates achievements within the veterinary profession.
RSPCA and Horse Trust Fire Evacuation Training
Whilst most fire safety training focuses on human evacuation, BARTA was invited to join up with the RSPCA to help develop operational solutions to support animals in their care, preparing for and in response to a fire or other emergency impacting on the residents.
Training in Saudi Arabia
Jim and Nigel travelled to Saudi Arabia to deliver race course incident management training and a taster for civil protection teams in dealing with incidents involving animals in road transportation and other entrapments.
Jockey Club Racing Instructors
Following the successful roll out of techniques training to over 400 ground staff from race courses across the UK, Jockey Club Racing staff participated in the newly created and worlds first, Equine Rescue Trainer qualification to enable internal training for new ground staff and maintenance of competency for the wider team.
BARTA Conference
BARTA teamed up with the School of Veterinary Medicine, Glasgow for our 3rd international conference, this time to cement our intention to create an International Community of Practice for Incidents Involving Animals. Over 100 delegates from 10 countries came together to discuss common issues in preparing for incidents and the emerging risk from climate emergencies.
ICPEM MOU
BARTA entered into an MOU with the Institute of Civil Protection and Emergency Management in order for both organisations to support each other’s common goals to safeguard animals and people during emergency situations. theicpem.org/
2024
Paris Olympics
Following the training for firefighter vets in Normandy and given his experience of London 2012, Jim was asked to support the equine vet team at the Chateau de Versaille, Paris 2024 alongside colleagues from the Paris fire dept who are water and animal rescue trained.
Association of Firefighter Veterinarians, France
French veterinary surgeon Mathilde Audic who is also part of her local fire department where she responds to animal emergencies as part of the structured team attended a UK Vet Responder course. Subsequently, she invited Jim to deliver a course for vets and firefighters in Normandy, France.
AFAC Adopted UK National Operational Guidance
Following successful integration within UK fire and rescue services, the Australiasian Fire Authorities Council (equivalent of the National Fire Chiefs Council) embedded Incidents Involving Large Animals National Operational Guidance into their organisation.
BEVA Equine Welfare Award
In addition to national recognition from The British Horse Society, National Equine Forum and RSPCA, BARTA Director Jim Green received the British Equine Veterinary Association Blue Cross Award for Animal Welfare.
New Instructor Qualification
We introduced the Large Animal Rescue Accredited Instructor course as a further step towards standardisation of large animal rescue responders across the UK. Successful candidates would be given the tools to deliver the BARTA Responder course in their respective services.
2023
RCVS Knowledge Award
We were singled out for a “”One to Watch Award” by the RCVS for BARTA’s Pre Vet Immediate Emergency Care package on oxygen therapy protocols for companion animals. The course is a free resource and accessed here: O2 Therapy for Companion Animals
BHA Guidelines
Updates to the British Horseracing Authority General Instructions called for racecourses to develop scenario training for a multi discipline approach to equine incident management. Additionally all racecourses must now have animal rescue equipment. We’re on hand to provide appropriate advice and training to integrate the rescue initiative within this new operational context.
AEIMN
The BARTA team has collaborated with Australia and New Zealand for many years. Now was time for the formation of their own entity, the Animal Emergency Incident Management Network. Josh, currently working in Australia was a founder and the inaugural Chair.
2022
A Busy Year for Training
This year two of the largest fire and rescue services in the UK, Mid and West Wales and Scottish Fire and Rescue Services both began formal adoption of large animal rescue response. Each utilising the BARTA initial, Responder and Team Leader levels of training, both practical and online.
HRH Princess Royal Opens our Training Centre
HRH The Princess Royal formally opened our training centre at The Horse Trust in December 2021. Firefighters from seven fire and rescue services, all members of the NFCC Animal Rescue Practitioners Forum, demonstrated animal rescue techniques through a simulated road incident. Police and National Highways supported the incident scenario along with veterinarians and equine transport professionals.
Piloted Vet Responder Inline with NOG
Since the early Hampshire and BEVA courses, the vet responder had undergone a few changes as we sought to provide the mix of practical and theoretical input to prepare large animal vets to operate within a multi agency environment during civil emergencies, to fulfil the recommendations of supporting guidance for the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, Chapter 15.20: Other sectors that should be involved in Emergency Planning
Team Leader Aligned to NOG
Jim Green and Josh Slater had written the original AR3 Team Leader course back in 2009, but operational learning and National Operational Guidance prompted a refresh. Both Responder and Team Leader courses underwent evaluation and were redesigned through consultation with the NFCC Animal Rescue Practitioners forum working groups.
2021
MOU with NFCC
BARTA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National
Fire Chiefs Council, highlighting the common goals to safeguard
people and animals during an emergency or disaster. Feedback
from the NFCC Animal Rescue Working Group was a desire to
provide standardised training across the UK.
2020
In this year BARTA piloted their Emergency Responder Situational Awareness training package with the NFCC working group.
This resource provides a foundation for identifying how animals impact organisations and what training and equipment provision might be best suited to their role.
This free to use initial level resource can be viewed here: Incidents Involving Animals – Initial
The first project was to provide guidance in support of pet oxygen therapy equipment, now becoming widely utilised by emergency responders. Similar to human Immediate Emergency Care (IEC), BARTA critical care experts provide structure and training to ensure a standardised approach to the needs of animals in emergencies and disasters.
2019
In 2019 BARTA became a subsidiary of the Horse Trust in order to provide stability and sustainability against a long term vision and commitment to supporting agencies who deal with emergencies involving animals.
Collaborative working groups were established to ensure all outcomes are evidenced based and supported by consensus of opinion by subject leads.
Contribution to National Operational Guidance (NOG)
In 2017 BARTA contributed to development of fire service national operational guidance documents and for the first time the language was changed from animal rescue to “Incidents Involving Animals”. In the overarching operational guidance for the UK fire and rescue service it describes the fact that animals may be encountered in almost any operational context, possibly hindering statutory operations and posing a risk to responders.
2017
In October 2017 BARTA teamed up with UC Davis to host a second BARTA conference, this time with a heavy focus on managing risk and meeting societal needs in the context of Incidents Involving Animals.
In 2017 Jim took a sabbatical from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service to work at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California.
This was in response to a request for assistance to develop an integrated model which would support emergency responders and vets to fulfil their roles in emergencies and disasters.
2016
In 2016 BARTA developed bespoke solutions to the growing issues of animals on the UK motorway network for Highways England.
Safety, animal welfare and economic considerations led to a multi faceted plan for Highways England Traffic Officers to learn, assess and respond safely to the 4500 animal related incidents they were dealing with on the motorway network annually.
2015
In 2015 BARTA hosted an inaugural conference in Prague, Czech Republic which was attended by delegates from 16 countries.
It became obvious that the needs of the international community were very much aligned and BARTA began to forge relationships that would support an ongoing collaborative approach.
2012
Jim Green supported the Veterinary Services Team during the 2012 London Olympics as a rescue consultant. This reinforced a growing understanding that the presence of animals provides the opportunity for hazardous situations to occur in a wide range of events and working environments.
BARTA was inaugurated in October 2012 by co-founders Jim Green and Josh Slater to provide structure and support to the growing animal rescue initiative which was now spreading to various agencies and disciplines.
Those benefiting from advice and training now extended to firefighters, veterinarians, animal welfare groups, RSPCA, Mounted Regiments and equine event organisers.
2010
By 2010 the UK Fire and Rescue Service had standardised policies and procedures for large animal rescue.
Over two years following the launch of the Animal Rescue Practitioners Forum, documents were created that would underpin the formation of the nation’s animal rescue teams.
Training became standard throughout UK fire and rescue services of which 90% had an animal rescue component and are working to national guidelines.
Anthony Hatch, a senior firefighter from New South Wales, Australia, travelled to the UK via the US on a Churchill Fellowship, researching good practices to take back to his home country.
2009
In 2009 the British Cattle Veterinary Association recognised the role their members could play in supporting livestock emergencies.
Jim and Josh travelled to South East Turkey to run a conference and support local responders following a successful bid for European funding.
2008
Following a successful national animal rescue conference hosted by Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, in 2008 the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) established an Animal Rescue Practitioners Forum (ARPF).
Led by Hampshire the forum was mandated to develop national standard operating procedures (SOP’s) for animal rescue and supplement that with approved techniques, equipment and training.
The fire and rescue service and British Equine Veterinary Association have been working together to deliver joint training and awareness since 2008.
2007
2007 saw the launch of an Emergency Services Protocol and equine veterinary directory by the British Horse Society and British Equine Veterinary Association.
Written in response to calls from equine media and welfare organisations for better animal rescue provision within rescue services. Events were cited where lack of knowledge, particularly from first responders placed themselves and the public in immediate danger, with the knock on effect of poor animal welfare and even suffering.
BEVA President, Professor Josh Slater, began considering training needs of the veterinary profession in supporting emergency responders. He understood the potentially growing demand for vets to train for these incidents, something their university curriculum did not prepare them for.
This is where Jim and Josh began to form their vision for a cohesive, multi agency initiative within the UK and haven’t stopped driving that vision forward since.
2004
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service introduced the concept of animal rescue subject matter advisors, officers from rural backgrounds who understood both animals and emergencies.
Jim Green, a founding member of this team, along with colleagues, began to research and develop better ways of working.
This team looked both nationally and internationally for ideas and people with whom to collaborate with and to share practices.
1990
Firefighters in the 1990’s began looking for guidance and more appropriate techniques for the rescue of large animals.
Animal handling training began in the mid 1990’s to help firefighters understand how animals behave and react, but there remained no standard rescue techniques.
Animal handling training began in the mid 1990’s to help firefighters understand how animals behave and react, but there remained no standard rescue techniques.
