It is well-understood that - in the emergency services business -- every day is different and responders are trained to "expect the unexpected." That is why fire and EMS personnel at the WGFC train regularly, and why the West Grove Fire Company maintains strong partnerships with neighboring organizations who can bring specific skills and equipment to meet any emergency.

Such was the case around 10am on Thursday morning, when a Franklin Township farm called WGFC looking for assistance for a horse unable to get up. They discovered the horse on its side in the morning and were not able to get the horse to get up on its own.
According to veterinarians, a horse that can't rise is a critical emergency that needs intervention and specialized assistance, and is among the top ten most worrisome conditions for horses(https://horsesidevetguide.com/Common+Horse+Emergencies+and+the+Skills+You+Need+to+Help).

Firefighters from WGFC agreed to come out to Bullock Road to help. On arrival, they found a 30-year-old horse unable to get up and requested the Chester County 911 Center to seek additional WGFC assistance, and to dispatch the Large Animal Rescue 36 (LAR 36) team from the Po-Mar-Lin Fire Company in Unionville. Our partners at Station 36 have received specialized training in moving and rescuing large animals, and maintain dedicated and specialty equipment for this purpose.

A large team of emergency providers arrived to assist for this operation, with apparatus including Ladder 22, Rescue 22, Brush 22, Engine 22-3, Squad 22 and LAR36. Despite the efforts of crews working together in attempts to get the horse to its feet over several hours in the cold damp morning with the owners and vets, this rescue of a 30-year-old horse was not successful and our thoughts are with the farm and horse owners.

The emergency operation is an example of the varied situations that face the fire company and our trusted partners at Po-Mar-Lin. We are grateful to LAR36 and the Po-Mar-Lin Fire Company for their assistance.

For more information on animal rescue see: https://paanimalresponse.org/about-part/
For more information on Po-Mar-Lin fire company see: https://www.pomarlinfc.org/