Cabinet Office guidance in support of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, highlights the role of private veterinary surgeons in attending incidents alongside Category 1 (blue light) responders to deliver immediate care to animals suffering trauma or entrapment.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a78a4c740f0b6324769905a/Chapter15-oth er-sectors-involved-in-EP-amends-10112011.pdf (Chapter 15.20)
Additionally, animals displaced by localised or regional emergencies may require veterinary oversight during rescue, relocation, and temporary sheltering, as well as chemical control, medical care, and advice on biosecurity threats and measures.
Emergency services respond to high-risk and/or complex incidents within a framework known as the Incident Command System (ICS). Additionally, multi-agency incidents follow Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles, known as JESIP. These systems are designed to provide clear lines of responsibility and accountability, delegate operational tasks in support of tactical plans and bring in sufficient resources to deal effectively with the scale, number of tasks or specialist incident advice as determined by the nature of the problem. They are founded on principles of shared situational awareness, co-location of leadership and joint understanding of risk. https://www.jesip.org.uk/
It is recognised that during an emergency event, Category 1 responders may encounter animals in many different contexts and it is likely that veterinary support will be required to satisfy a duty of care for those with temporary control or responsibility, as defined by the Animal Welfare Act 2006. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/animalwelfare
Further information about the role of veterinary professionals during civil emergencies can be found in the linked BVA In Practice article, by BARTA Director, Jim Green MICPEM.
https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/inpr.459
Large animals are affected by emergencies in a range of circumstances. Some examples include:
• Physical entrapment
• Loose and straying
• Trapped in structure fires
• Trapped in transportation incidents
• Impacted by wildfire
• Marooned, stranded or swept away in a water environment
Response to a call for assistance from a private veterinary practice is normally to send the nearest available veterinary surgeon. Occasionally, situations require further support from additional vets or RVNs when capacity allows. When resourcing an incident, there are no guidelines that highlight when the complexity or nature of an incident might trigger a greater level of veterinary response. Initial information from the scene is often limited and therefore, veterinary surgeons attending a scene alone, are often placed in a situation where they are not in a position to deliver against multiple simultaneous tasks and objectives.
For that reason, this document sets out roles and opportunities for a veterinary team approach to large animal emergencies and in particular, roles and capabilities of RVN’s and what incidents might trigger their potential deployment. It will also highlight what training and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is essential to allow them to participate in operational environments safely.
Large animal incidents range from a single animal, welfare centred issue, where an inability to stand requires assistance from an agency equipped to perform casualty relocation techniques, through to multi-animal, complex entrapments such as in transportation or the result of a fire in animal housing where multiple acute medical issues are present. Long-term exposure to flood water or near drowning may also present a component of wider community risk events.
Therefore, simultaneous veterinary tasks that need to be performed will vary based on the type of incident, nature of injuries and number of casualty animals. Veterinary led intervention should focus on a casualty centred approach and the ability to make an assessment of resource requirements, including personnel skills and attributes, should be a priority for initial attending veterinary surgeons.
Incidents that would be considered appropriate for the deployment of further veterinary professionals, including RVNs include;
Single animal entrapments
● Complex rescues
● Significant entrapments
● High stress environments (road traffic incidents, shows and events)
● Difficult access (Entrapments in transport, structures, pits etc)
● Major trauma
● Prolonged incident
● Highly public location
● General anaesthesia or Continuous Rate Infusion (CRI) sedation
Multi animal incidents which require
● Rapid triage
● Simultaneous casualty stabilisation and treatment
● Simultaneous phases of an incident or functional roles (triage, euthanasia, rescue, treatment, post incident care)
● High intensity activity
● Coordination of veterinary resources
● Consultation, recording and referral