On June 15, 2023, the Atascocita Fire Department hosted a one-day “K9 Casualty Care Course” The program was open to all First Responders, Law Enforcement, and K9 Handlers in the Greater Houston Area, and was sponsored by the Memorial Hermann Life Flight Operational Medicine Unit.
Photos Courtesy of Atascocita FD
The purpose of the course was to provide emergency care education for canines to handlers, tactical medics, and EMS personnel who work closely with canine officers. This initiative stems from the Memorial Hermann Life Flight Operational Medicine’s goal of providing ‘in field’ emergency care to canine officers, using guidelines drawn from current civilian practices for pre-hospital canine emergency care.
The course was designed for EMS, Law Enforcement Officers, and K9 Handlers, and it consisted of lectures on trauma care, common medical emergencies, Narcan usage for canines, and common toxins encountered in the field. In addition to the lectures, several skill stations were included.
While participation was free, donations to Life Flight were welcomed. Department K9s were also invited to attend, although their presence was not required for the course. Participants were eligible for TCOLE and CE hours for their training.
