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 PUBLIC REVIEWS OF THE TLAER COURSE AND INSTRUCTORS

Please email the WEBMASTER with your review of past and present course experiences and TLAER Instructors

Your review will be published on this page of the website.

 

Hi Dr Gimenez,

Just wanted to thank you and everyone else for an incredibly informative weekend!
 
I'm fairly new with the fire department and feel very intimidated by the guys and my lack of experience, but your course has really opened some doors to areas of rescue to which our department has given little to no consideration! My husband was really interested in the information I brought home and I may be able to convince him to take the operational course down the line. (We are on the same volunteer department in a very rural community )
 
 Anyway, thank you again! It was an amazing weekend!!!

B.
Georgia

 

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RECEIVED NOVEMBER 9, 2010

Hello Rebecca,

Here is the final copy of the report I submitted to Defence Research and Development Canada: Centre for Security Science with regards to your course. This agency very kindly sponsored my trip and I am working with them to further emergency preparedness for horses in Ontario, Canada...I really liked (and appreciated) the way you both encouraged a team approach to large animal incidents. I have attended other courses where veterinarians were made to look useless, cruel and unknowledgable. So, thank you!
I also liked the fact that you divided the group into teams and made sure that EVERYONE could/did participate. Sometimes I find First responders are a bit dominant and take over the show (it is in their nature and I wouldn't want it any other way) but for people who are not as vocal (like myself) it can be hard to jump in there.
A great course.... thank you so much for having me come down. I learned a ton!
 
I will be in touch
C. Furness
Canada

TLAER Course Review for the Defence Research and Development Canada Animals in Emergency Working Group

 

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RECEIVED NOVEMBER 5, 2010

Winston Churchill Fellowship Report, Australia - TLAER Course Review

 

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RECEIVED OCTOBER 26, 2010

Hi Rebecca and Tomas,

I have taken several of your TLAER courses in the past (Montour Falls, NY (with the Brits) and Lollipop Farms in Rochester, NY), and have emailed you in the past about equipment I have acquired for use on my horse farm and make available to the horse community as well. I attend a few incidents on Saturday and have some questions that I hope you will be able to answer for me.

I have used the simple vertical lift bar several times for downed horses. Two were success stories and two were not...

Believe it or not, I received a call about a horse that got stuck under the tail bar on a trailer...(Note from Webmaster: The veterinarian euthanized the horse due to complications from the incident)... The owner wanted to bury her at his farm, so I put her on the glide and winched her into my  'ambulance' (retrofitted 2-horse trailer). The vet on the scene had never seen the glide in action and was very impressed.

Your input (input meaning answers to questions that were edited out) would be greatly appreciated. I would like to attend another course to refresh my skills, but it looks like the closest you have to Buffalo, NY is the one in Virginia in May. It may be close enough that I could bring my ambulance to show you what you both inspired and helped provide to our horse community. Although every rescue call does not have a happy ending, I usually find that the owners are so grateful knowing that they were able to try everything and they can feel like they made the right decision when euthanasia is required.

Thank you for all you do,

P Armstrong

New York

 

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RECEIVED JUNE 4, 2010

Hi Rebecca:   Thanks I enjoyed meeting you and your course was very beneficial and eye opening.  I intend on presenting some of your information to my trail group members in hopes that it will help some of them too.  You're doing a wonderful thing with your life and your past experiences are amazing.  Keep up the good work and I will most definitely be keeping your information.  I hope I never have to call on you for help but should that happen, I'm grateful to have you as a source for help.  Take care & look forward to meeting you again some day.  S. Armstrong  Pinckney Trail Riders Assn., Michigan.

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RECEIVED JUNE 1, 2010

Australian Fellows Review of their TLAER Course Attendance in 2009

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RECEIVED APRIL 22, 2010

Hi Rebecca  

I wanted to drop you a line about the horse I had assisted today. My friends down the street have a 34 yr gelding that they have had forever. They called me this evening to help with him. I got there he was down in his stall. He tried to get up but didn't have the room to get up. So I called my Fire Chief and I told him I needed a section of 2 1/2 " hose and the Grass Truck with a winch. I know you said never use a winch because of the delay in it stopping.  I choose that because we didn't have the anchor for a rigging system. We wrapped the hose like you showed me and we winched him about 30 feet to outside the barn. Before we could get everything unhooked he was up...

When we were done I explained the class to them some more. Now they want me to setup another class. They feel that every horse person should take the class.
 
 I was at the class at Otterbien April 9 and 10 (2010).
 
 Thanks for for teaching the class you have made my friends very happy with the knowledge you have given me.
 
 B. Vanhoose
 Orange Township Fire Department and Porter Kingston Fire District 

 

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RECEIVED APRIL 19, 2010

Rebecca,

I've only had superlative responses to your presentation here.  As my students would say, "You rock!!"

One of the fire stations from a nearby town is assembling a contact list of those who can provide LA rescue services.  You started the ball rolling!

Dr. Calderone
Otterbein College, OH

 

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RECEIVED FEBRUARY 2, 2010

 

RECEIVED JANUARY 19, 2010

HI Rebecca!
 
I took a Companion Animal Disaster Sheltering 2 day class last week in Bridgeport, CT and the instructor happened to mention TLAER and I spoke up I had taken the class last summer and how fantastic it was! I told students to see me and I would give more info to those interested during lunch and breaks. I had pictures on my cell phone I was able to share from our class in July. Several students came up to me during the course of the class and gave me their emails and numbers who were interested with providing them with further information regarding TLAER and when the class would be offered again in our area (CT). Most of the students were Animal Control Officers, Animal Welfare Officers, & Police Officers.  I obtained your email... but it appears all the information they need is on your website www.tlaer.org... I am looking forward to 2010 and working further towards my certifications towards helping people and their animals. Thanks again for your great class....I've heard nothing but great reviews since and consider myself very fortunate to have experienced it. I will continue to spread the word about this class so more people become educated in this area.
 
K. Carr
Wrenhaven Farm
Woodstock, CT 

 

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RECEIVED JANUARY 4, 2010

It has been a couple years since I took my training.  It is probably the best 3 days I have every spent.  Since then I have spoken to a couple groups about TLAER, basically the what to do's and the not to do's.  About 2 months after I had spoken to the Dane County 4H Horse and Pony Education day, a letter was received in the 4H office.  The child wanted to thank me for saving her ponies life.  It seems he had gotten cast on the ice between the barn and a tree.  As the mother was working on getting the horse out, her daughter yelled at her saying "its not what the lady said".  They regroup and remembered what I said and saved the horse.  He had been there several hours and hypothermia had set in.   To me this was the things that proved my training was well worth it.  So I will keep talking to who ever will listen and help out when I can.  I always give people my phone number and tell them I am always here to help, but hope I never hear from anyone.   With out you and what you do Dr Gimenez we wouldn't be able to help out local people.  Thank you so very much!!!! R. Cory

 

Hi Tomas- 

Thanks to you and Rebecca, the training was fabulous.  Our group now has a better relationship with the firefighters and a good basic understanding of the techniques. 

It is really very well run program and I can't thank you enough... 

 I would love to stay in touch with you and your group.

R. Westerland, DVM

Baltimore, Maryland

 

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RECEIVED NOVEMBER 10, 2009

Hi Dr. Gimenez, 

     Because of the information Deborah Black and I brought back after attending the TLAER Awareness course in Navasota, TX at BVEH, tonight at our Waller County Horse Council meeting it was decided that we would put together a “basic kit” for horse rescue...

     I want to thank-you so much for such an informative course and the opportunity, thanks to Dr. Ben, to have been able to have “hands-on” learning experiences.

     I look forward to your return next year for level two of the course series.  

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RECEIVED NOVEMBER 3, 2009

   Thank you Rebecca for a GREAT class in Mansfield! We all can't wait to do the operational course next!! It was better than I remembered it. I will send more photos soon.
 
R. Easley - Field Supervisor - Equine Health, Georgia Dept of Agriculture

 

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RECEIVED NOVEMBER 3, 2009

Hello Rebecca:

   Just a quick note to say thanks again for your great training on October 16^th – 17^th.  We enjoyed the course as you made it very interesting , and we learned a lot !

   As I had my arm in a cast & was not able to participate on most of the “hands on”  exercises…I shot pictures...   We hope that you are able to schedule an operations level course with Dr. Ben  for  2010 . 

Best Regards,

R. Obrosky

Belmont Enterprises, Inc.

 

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RECEIVED OCTOBER 30, 2009

Dr. Gimenez,
     Thanks for the training in Mansfield this week. I came back with a lot of information and confidence to prepare our department for technical animal rescue....

     Great job--probably the best presentation I have attended!

     See you at the Operational training in the spring!

J. Singley, EMA Planner
Emergency Management Division
Columbus Fire & Emergency Medical Services
Columbus, Georgia 

 

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RECEIVED OCTOBER 29, 2009

Dear Rebecca,

 I am so thankful for having met you. You are an amazing instructor  and person. I learned a ton, including what I want to do for the rest of my life: rescue large animals in emergency situations as a veterinarian. I also want to motivate and teach others to help animals too...
 
 Thank you so much for the autographed book... The only thing on my desk is that book and the certificate... They (my friends) have all thumbed through the book and can't wait to meet you and take your class.
 
 I don't know how I will ever be able to repay you for the kind consideration you showed me. I just hope that I can become a great vet, rescue tons of animals, and be as influential of a person as you are. If I reflect even a tiny portion of the enthusiastic drive and intelligence you have on others, I know that will make me powerful enough to lead myself and my peers toward a great cause...

 In the meantime, I'd like to do whatever I can to help you in your  effort to spread TLAER education. I have contacted the president of the Pre-Health Club on campus, and I am waiting for him to get back to me so we can coordinate ideas on how to bring you and your team to Florida for operations training.... If it is alright with you, may I please receive some information on how to sponsor a TLAER class? I really want my school and the surrounding community to get involved.
 I think that I could organize a good response....
 
 Please stay in contact and take care Rebecca.
 
 Sincerely,
 
 M. Albin
 St. Petersburg, FL

 

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RECEIVED OCTOBER 27, 2009

Hey Rebecca,

  Thanks again for the terrific 2 days of instruction. Not a boring minute the whole time.

S. Burnham, DVM
Texas Department of State Health Services
Austin , Texas

 

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