Recently #Local935 Firefighters with #SBCoFD were involved in two different incidents one of which involved the rescue of a horse that was stranded upside down in a ditch and another for an injured hiker in the Deep Creek Hot Springs that sustained a fall while hiking with his dog. Both incidents had some similarities, but also several major differences in how we as #Firefighters and #Rescuers operate when dealing with animals. The first thing that must be known is that at no time when dealing with injured animals will rescuers take unnessacary risk or put themselves in harm’s way for an animal. Often times the actions of injured animals can be unpredictable and erratic. In these cases we cooperate with other agencies, like animal control, that deal specifically with animals. When dealing with human lives, the story is much different. While we shall risk our lives to rescue another human, we do put every safeguard possible in place to minimize the risk. As Firefighters and Rescuers there is always a risk that comes with the profession. There are times that even though we make every effort to operate safely there is a chance something can go wrong and injure or kill us. The risk versus gain must always be understood and evaluated in our operations. Now that we have set the stage on how we deal with animal rescues, let’s discuss these two recent incidents that occurred: On July 20th, #SBCoFD responded to a call in the Deep Creek area for a reported injured hiker that had fallen 70ft. It was also reported that the hiker’s dog was injured from the fall. During the summer months, this particular area brings an increased call volume for injured and stranded hikers that are lured to the waterfalls and natural pools in the area. Firefighters with SBCoFD responded with a full response including a Heavy Rescue Unit. County Fire also received assistance from Sheriff’s Air Rescue 06. Crews from County Fire arrived at the trailhead, and the plan was to begin the 2-3 mile walk up the trail while Air Rescue flew into the narrow canyon to look for the victim. Crews from SBCoFD did deploy ground personnel up the Pacific Crest Trail with specialty equipment and Paramedic gear to deal with the inured party. Air Rescue located the victim from the air and inserted a Volunteer Air Rescue Medic via hoist cable to make patient contact. The Sheriff Air Medic made contact with the patient, however the victim refused all care. His only request was to have his dog hoisted to the helicopter and evacuated from the canyon. This request was denied due to the lack of immediate threat to human life. Hoist operations from a helicopter constitute a high risk operation which in this case were not justified in the risk versus gain determinant. The 911 caller repeatedly declined treatment for his own injuries and ultimately opted to hike out with his dog, and refused all further assistance from responding resources. Due to this new information, all fire department and Sheriff resources cleared the call. A short time later a second 911 call was received from the hiker stating that he was now injured and requesting hoist extraction for both him and his dog. SBCoFD crews arrived at the trailhead a short time later and discovered the hiker had made it out under his own power with his party and dog. All parties were offered water and a ride down to their vehicles. This assistance was denied. The hiker once again refused treatment and transport. The second incident involving an animal rescue occurred on July 29th in #Hesperia. Local935 Firefighters with SBCoFD responded to a reported horse that had fallen into a 3-4 foot ravine and was unable to get out. The rider was uninjured, and the horse was alive but unable to get back on its feet. The SBCoFD response included a Heavy Rescue Unit. After assessing the situation, it was determined the horse needed to be sedated in order to safely remove it from the ravine. A local veterinarian responded to the scene and sedated the animal long enough for firefighters to conduct a rescue. Once the horse, named Quigley, was sedated, Firefighters starting digging an area around the horse utilizing hand tools. Once a large enough area was leveled and cleared, firefighters were able to get a skid underneath the animal and slide the horse down the hillside to a safe location. Once the sedative wore off, Quigley was brought to his feet and was able to walk himself into the horse trailer. A #RanchoCucamongaFireDepartment Technical rescue team that has specialized equipment and training in rescuing large animals responded to assist County Firefighters. The entire operation was conducted safely and without unnecessary risk. While these incidents involved out of the ordinary circumstances and assistance to our citizens, we strive to serve in any way we can. When help is required and asked for, we are more than willing to go the extra mile. Due to the continuous coverage that County Fire provides to the region, there was no interruption of service, and all areas were covered during these lengthy incidents.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 04:17:14 +0000
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