Tomas Gimenez, Dr.Med.Vet, founder and primary instructor of Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue (TLAER) and professor emeritus at Clemson University, has announced that he will retire in 2013. Gimenez considered by some a founding father of TLAER, a movement which has grown to encompass global training efforts and recommended equipment for disaster and emergency preparedness, prevention and response.

Gimenez’s contributions to the field are innumerable, but in particular there are pieces of equipment (including the Nicopolous needle, Becker vertical lift web sling, equine floatation device, device extender poles, and more) that he researched and designed with many collaborators.

Early on he saw the value of new methodologies and techniques (Widener forward assist configuration, Hampshire slip, Becker sling, etc.) and promoted their use after doing the research to prove that they worked better than previous generations of equipment or procedures. He customized an A-frame proposed by Norco Fire Rescue to allow vertical lift in difficult to access areas. He improved the design of numerous pieces of equipment and simplified the methodology for stabilization or overturn of horse trailers. He supported the use of rope rescue and mechanical advantage for moving large animal victims, and promulgated the use of shoring and extrication techniques for confined space, trench, and motor vehicle accidents with large animals.

Most importantly, he is responsible for bringing various TLAER techniques, tactics and procedures under the umbrella of legitimate rescue organizations by aligning the training with that of normal fire/rescue maneuver and encouraging the use of the Incident Command System to coordinate on-scene operations. In 2014 TLAER methods, procedures and equipment recommendations will join the standards promulgated by the National Fire Protection Association