Large animal incidents present significant risk to responders, bystanders, and animals. The Awareness Level course provides essential foundational training to help participants recognize hazards, manage scenes safely, and support successful rescue operations.

This comprehensive 3-day program combines classroom instruction with hands-on application.

Participants will explore:

– Large animal behaviour and stress response

– Safe approach, positioning, and handling techniques

– Emergency haltering, restraint, and confinement methods

– Basic anatomy relevant to rescue operations

– Human safety priorities and scene management

– Roles of veterinarians, owners, and animal welfare agencies

– Introduction to manipulation concepts and equipment awareness

Practical sessions include demonstrations of forward assists, rear assists, sideways drags, and cast techniques, followed by site-specific rescue scenarios using a 600-pound horse mannequin. All exercises operate within an Incident Command System (ICS) framework and are grounded in best management practices with a strong emphasis on responder safety and animal welfare.

This course is open to anyone, but are specifically geared towards fire departments, first responders, animal rescue specialists, veterinarians & technicians, animal support personnel seeking and any large animal owner that wants to be more prepared.