UI Program To Train First Responders For Livestock Emergencies

University of Idaho Extension is out with a new program, intended to prepare first responders statewide to address auto accidents involving livestock.  Selena Davila said the goal of the Stock Transportation Emergency Education and Response Program, better known as STEER, is to help everyone involved feel comfortable in an unpredictable situation so they can proceed with a calm head.

"Horses and livestock, they think purely on survival," she noted.  "They don't really think about, ‘oh, I need to go this way because it's the safe way’, they just want to get away from the accident. And when people are also stressed out, they tend to add to that animal's stress and it creates a lot bigger of a mess. And so even if you're emotionally attached to it, it's usually a pretty scary situation. And we're trying to give them a little background so they're not seeing a cow for the first time or trying to touch a horse for the first time and get them out of a trailer, not understanding how that animal could react to that situation.”

How To Help Is Not Always Clear

She added livestock emergencies are bound to happen periodically in rural Idaho, though protocols on how to respond in these emergencies are not always clear.

Davila said sessions will be divided in two, with the first half of the day focused in the classroom; topics like triage, mortality, when can animal be loaded in a trailer.  Plus, they will also have the state brand inspector's office on hand to go over brand IDs, laws, paperwork, who to call, etc.

This Week's Session Just The Beginning

“And then the second-half of the day, they're going to be in an arena with animals. They're going to be moving horses, loading cows, working with sheep. We're focusing on those main three species, and they're going to be hands-on having to do different things with the animals to get some experience and background for these situations when they happen in real life.”

Sessions took place in eastern Idaho on Monday and Tuesday in Jerome.  For the rest of this week, sessions are scheduled for Caldwell on Wednesday and Moscow this coming weekend.

In addition to the knowledge and connections, STEER has been approved for POST credits, meaning law enforcement can receive Idaho Peace Office Standards and Training credits for participating in the sessions.

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