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Animal Technical Rescue team provides safety training to hospital employees

Members of the UF Large Animal Hospital staff pose with Dane Anderson and Brandi Phillips, seated in front, of the UF Veterinary Emergency Treatment Services’ large animal rescue team, after a day of training in safety practices.

Members of the UF Veterinary Emergency Treatment Services’ animal technical rescue and disaster response team recently provided valuable safety training for a group of UF Large Animal Hospital employees.

“We often see complex cases here at the large animal hospital, and, unfortunately, some of them aren’t able to walk off the trailer,” said Andrea Davison, a hospital veterinary care manager. “This training focused on these situations specifically.”

Knowing how to handle such situations safely and confidently “will not only provide the best care for the patient; it will also ensure that the veterinary health care workers remain safe while providing that care,” she added. Creating a safe and comfortable learning opportunity allows hospital staff to become comfortable with the equipment, roles and communication tactics needed to perform what needs to be done quickly and safely.

“There was lots of learning,” said Andrea Davison, a veterinary care manager at the hospital. “It was super educational and so much fun.”

Employees from a variety of departments within the hospital participated, spending two full hours collaborating as a team to work through a variety of scenarios.

“One of the big realizations for me was the sheer number of people that are needed to safely implement these protocols, and the teamwork needed to function smoothly and effectively,” Davison said.

Kelly Higgs-Rick, the large animal hospital’s manager, said it had been nearly three years since there had been an in-person training in large animal rescue held for the staff.

“Getting to practice with the simulator horse in a controlled environment is what makes our team uniquely capable when these cases come in,” Higgs-Rick said. “And having the rescue team just a phone call away is amazing.”

A second set of employees with the hospital will receive training in the fall.

Rescue and disaster response team members Brandi Phillips and Dane Anderson led the training.