Page 140 - SPEEDHORSE April 2018

Oklahoma Large Animal
First Responders
Five years ago, a devastating EF5 tornado swept through Moore, Oklahoma. The powerful storm took a tremendous toll. In
addition to the 24 people who lost their lives, there was more than $2 billion in property damage. The tornado was also devastating for animals – horses in particular. Various reports estimated more than 100 horses died at the Orr Family Farm, while dvm360.com reported that “countless” animals had perished in the storm.
In the wake of the devastation, though, a boon to horses throughout the state of Oklahoma was born. Three individuals, including an experienced veterinarian, went to Moore seeking to
help. From that, an
organization called
the Oklahoma Large
Animal First Re-
sponders (OLAFR)
came to be.
Kevin Trimmell, a co-founder of the group, recalled that chaos in Moore:
“We noticed
that there was small
animal care everywhere you turned, but when it came to large animal, there was nothing. There was no organization that would help. They had no coordination with the officials that were running the deal. So, we just took it upon ourselves to jump in and start helping, kind of wherever we could,” he said.
The organization had humble beginnings. At first, membership consisted of Trimmell, the facility manager at Heritage Place, Dan Mullenix, a horse trainer, and Dr. Clayton McCook, a veterinarian specializing in equines based out of Oklahoma City.
The three men, “kind of put our heads together and realized something needed to be done,” Trimmell said.
The OLAFR coordinate their efforts with the state agricultural department in Okla- homa, as well as with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The fledgling group soon would have an opportunity to show it could help. Eleven days after the tornado in Moore, an EF3 tornado hit in El Reno, Oklahoma.
“Ever since the tornado in Moore, we’ve been going strong,” Trimmell said.
The numbers reinforce the statement. A couple of weeks after the tornado in Moore, the membership of the first responders group
After the 2013 Moore tornado, it was estimated that more than 100 horses died.
by John Moorehouse
had doubled from three to six. The organi- zation developed a board of directors and successfully obtained its 501(c) non-profit status. Trimmell served as chairman of the board for four years, a position now held by Dr. McCook.
Membership has grown, as well. Trimmell noted that the first responders now boast a core group of volunteers that numbers about 200 individuals. The group responds to torna- does, as well as floods, wildfires, or man- made disasters that may jeopardize horses and other large animals.
Noting they patterned the organization after similar groups in Texas and Louisiana, Trimmell said, “We started from scratch, not knowing what we were getting into, and now it’s grown to this.”
When an event occurs, the first responders do not deploy on their own. Typically, they get noti- fied by either state government or the USDA. The OLAFR also works directly with the Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps (OKMRC).
“Our name has gotten out there in the state with emergency medical managers, and some of them contact us directly,” Trimmell noted. “When that happens, we run through the OKMRC or the state and notify them that we have been contacted and want them to know.”
In the interest of safety, the OLAFR never deploy in any group smaller than two. Once they arrive on the scene of an incident, they treat any animals on site and then reunite those animals with the owners, assuming the owners can be found. Medical treatment, whether it falls into the category of urgent care or triage, takes place on site. If further care is needed, a fund has been set up covering the costs of sending those animals to Oklahoma State University through that institution’s equine department.
“If [the horses] can’t stay in their im- mediate location, then we do have a list of
138 SPEEDHORSE April 2018
Oklahoma Large Animal First Responders co- founder Kevin Trimmell.