HEET’s June Training for Equine Emergency First-Aid is coming up.  There will actually be two trainings in June. We felt it would be a good idea to meet the lead veterinarians who will be working with us when we have an emergency; therefore, we have set up a meeting in South County and one in North County.  Any and all members are welcome at both meetings.

For South County:

Who: Eric DeVos, DVM Los Padres Equine Veterinary Services

When: Saturday June 6th

Time: 9:00 AM

Where: 525 Sandydale Lane Nipomo, CA 93444

Directions: From the North-101 South, Right on Tefft, Right on Mary, Right on Juniper, Left on Frontage, Left on Sandydale.  LPEVS is behind Nipomo Cat and Dog Hospital.

From the South-Follow directions above except make a left onto Tefft from l0l.

For more information contact Julie Monser 264-3422

For North County:

Who: Kristina Grewall, DVM Creston Large Animal

When: Saturday June 27

Time: 9:30 AM

Where: Meadow Oaks Ranch 1845 Lupine Ln Templeton, CA 93465 Direction: From Atascadero: East on Hwy 41 to Templeton Rd, left 2 miles to Lupine Lane, ranch with large sign will be on right. From Templeton: East on Vineyard over bridge then right on Templeton Rd 3.5 miles to Lupine Lane, left turn, ranch with large sign will be on right

For more information contact Kathe Hustace 239-4004 or 459-6436.

Have a safe Memorial Day Weekend and see you at the upcoming trainings.

The directors updated all “HEET Procedure” this morning and are being reformated.   All members will receive the procedure via e-mail in the few weeks.

So, as it stands our May 2nd meeting is canceled. The next training will be in June for Equine First-Aid and then the Procedure Training July 11th,  since the first Sat. of July falls on July 4th.

Of course we will notify all members as to date, time, and places of all meetings.

Heaven Can Wait Equine Rescue, Rehabilitation and Sanctuary located at 6275 Cerros Pioneros Wy, San Miguel, holds an Open House on Sunday, May 3, 2009 from 11 Am - 3 PM.  Admission and ample off-road parking are free.

Raffle, tours, Bargain Barn, visits with the horses and donkeys.  Wine pourings compliments of Vista Del Rey Winery.  Non-alcoholic beverages available.

No charge to taste and vote on chilis prepared by local chefs including Mark Faulkner (Hospitality Catering, “the Singing Chef,”), Dallas Holt (10th St. Basque Cafe, San Miguel) and Pablo Marlen (Cafe Vio, Paso Robles).

Families, cameras, picnic lunches all welcome.  Call 805/368-5702 or 805/712-3109 for more info.  No reservations required.

This is an important meeting for you to attend if you anticipate helping out in an emergency situation.  You will receive copies of our procedure manuals, so you can be well prepared for an actual event.

For more information, call Susan or Stuart at 805-772-7877.

1.  The meeting was convened at 1807.5 at Margie’s Diner in San Luis Obispo.  Present were Kathe Hustace, Stuart McElhinney, Chris Shell, Julie Monser, Bob Taylor, and Susan McElhinney. 2.  Minutes of the meeting of February 5, 2009, were read and approved as read. 3.  The Treasurer’s report was read and approved as read. 4.  The class for March, Trailer Safety and Inspection, will be held at Cuesta College, in the parking lot near the entrances and Highway 1.  Cuesta was very helpful in allowing us to use the lot. 5.  The Anderson Sling is getting closer to ready for presentation.  Parts have been picked up and will be going for powder coating. 6.  Our ICS training and Annual meeting went very well.  Good turnout and a lot of helpful information from the CalFire presenters. 7.  2009 Registration forms will be sent out shortly.  Cover letter is ready to go, naming April 15th as a reply-by date. 8.  The database for registered animals is ready for the new registration forms.  This will enable us to contact owners more quickly by sorting out endangered areas. 9.  Our First Aid and CPR class will be held April 4, 2009, at SLO Library (downtown SLO).  It will be conducted by Nan Bowman of Action Safety and will cost $30 per person. 10.  The next class will be a procedural overview and training for members, to let them know how the ICS works within our own organization.  The date is May 2.  Place TBA. 11.  On June 6, Dr. DeVos, DVM, will present Animal First Aid.  North County members may arrange a separate North County event. 12.  We are still looking for a source for the HEET decals.  Bob and Stuart will follow up with different printers. 13.  Tim Collins wants $1500 to do a training for the Anderson Sling.  We will explore other options. 14.  Susan presented information on Volunteer Insurance and will follow up with the insurer to ask if they will cover HEET activities. 15.  Stuart brought new ByLaws for review. 16.  We set a meeting for April 11th, at the McElhinney Law Offices at 10 AM.  We will develop an ICS plan for within our group. 17.  Chris Shell suggested that we try to relocate our meetings to the bank we previously met at.  Meeting at the restaurant has been proving problematic, since there is often a great deal of background noise, which inhibits coherent and audible discussion.  She offered to check on availability.  It was agreed that we would try to accommodate whatever time they have available for us in the evening. 18.  Susan will follow up on getting a leather patch tooled for the Anderson Sling, wording to be determined. 19.  Stuart, this year’s President, will talk to Es Berliner at CalFire about sending a general email to all stations concerning the Rescue Glides and the Anderson Sling. 20.  The S. County trailer is still sweating badly.  Julie will ask Corey about covering it with a free-standing cover.  Vent has been opened  The N. Co. trailer also needs a cover.  It is currently parked at Kathe Hustace’s home. 21.  Santa Barbara Evac has shown an interest in helping us with a training on the Anderson Sling. Julie will follow up with Mark Cameron about doing the training in SLO at CalFire, so we and the emergency personnel can learn together. 22.  Los Padres Trail Riders will host a used tack sale in Santa Barbara on March 28.  Julie Monser will attend and sell tack for HEET.  Anyone with CLEAN, useable tack can donate through her. 23.  Susan needs to add our class schedules to the website. 24.  Julie reported that Tim Fanning wants to do a fundraiser for HEET in the form of a Beer Tasting.  Susan will get more information.  Sycamore Mineral Springs has offered us a prize of a night’s stay at the resort, which could be auctioned at such an event. 25.  The meeting was adjourned at 1947.  Next meeting TBA, depending on the bank’s availability.

Respectfully submitted, Susan McElhinney

May 2, Time and Location TBA–Instruction in our Incident Command System

June 6, Animal First Aid, taught by Dr. DeVos, DVM–details to follow

Our training for April will be CPR and First-Aid. The cost of the class is only $ 30.00 per person. Nan Bowman with Action Safety Education and EquineU.com will be providing the instruction. You will be learning the very latest techniques in CPR, as well as how to provide emergency first-aid.

We need a head count ASAP so that Nan can set up a code for us to access on-line before the April 4th class. Please RSVP by email no later than Saturday March 21st to heeteam@hotmail.com to let us know how many in your family/friends will be attending.

The meeting is going to be at the SLO Library starting at 9:00 AM and you will pay the $ 30.00 at the meeting.

Nan is a very good instructor and we truly appreciate her donating her time to help us.

Heet has previously provided two Large Animal Rescue Glides for use in our county, one of which is at the airport fire station and the other is at  Paso Robles CalFire Station Number 30.

For more information on the Anderson Sling and Rescue Glides, visit the Anderson website at www.andersonsling.com.

1.    The meeting was convened at 1825.  Present were Robert Taylor, Chris Shell, Julie Monser, Susan McElhinney and Stuart McElhinney.

2.    The hearing on the Small Claims action against HEET was discussed.  It was agreed that the judge asked good questions and that things looked favorable for a good outcome for HEET. 3.    The minutes of the meeting of January 26, 2008, were read and approved as read. 4.    The treasurer’s report was read and approved as read.  A copy is attached to these minutes. 5.    Kathy Hustace was to report on the status of the HEET polo shirts, but was unable to attend this meeting due to back problems. 6.    Patches in the form of an arc to add to our shirts were discussed.  It was suggested that the words “Central Coast” be used in place of “San Luis Obispo County,” but after discussion, it was agreed that the county designation would be used.  It was moved and seconded and adopted unanimously to order 100 patches with the words “San Luis Obispo County.” 7.    Having a mock drill at Cal Poly was rejected by the school.  The horses that formerly wintered there are not available.  The possibility of having the drill at Lisa Langere’s property met with approval and we will follow up with Lisa about this possibility and available dates. 8.    Chris Shell committed to having the new registration form drafted by March 5, 2008. 9.    Attendance at the Equine Experience was discussed.  It was suggested that Hank Gratton might be willing to do the set up.  Susan will make a schedule to circulate to the members for various shifts. 10.    Julie Monser will speak to the Atascadero Horsewomen on March 11th. 11.    Stuart McElhinney was reminded that he needed to do the change of address for HEET. 12.    Chris Shell will check into the codes needed to put call forwarding into effect on the HEET phone line. 13.    Bank signatures need to be updated.  Chris Shell will check with Washington Mutual about a free account for HEET and will find out if each signer has to go to the same branch to sign a signature card. 14.    Susan and Stuart McElhinney will contact the person from Contra Costa Fire who inquired about our group, since they will be in Contra Costa County area at the beginning of April. 15.    New ID cards will be mailed to current, paid members. 16.    Reminders will be sent out via HOTMAIL to remind people to send in their dues of $25 per individual and $35 per family.  Upon payment, Bob will send out new ID cards.  Members can email him a current picture for their cards. 17.    Dates for Board meetings were tentatively set as follows: a.    March 19th b.    April 16th c.    May 21st d.    June 15th e.    July 16th f.    August 20th g.    September 17th h.    October 15th i.    November 19th j.    December 17th and k.    January 10th, 2009, Annual Meeting

18.  The meeting was adjourned at 1940.

This opportunity is open to anyone who shows up, so tell anyone interested, HEET member or not.

The address is:

800 Quintana, Suite 2F, Morro Bay

Saturday, July 14, 2007 9 am - 11:30 am

Click here for mapquest directions.

Please remember to RSVP for the skills. Call or send an email, Nan 805.929.0921 nbowman@actionedu.com.

The meeting was convened at 6:30 PM, at Mission Community Bank in San Luis Obispo. Present were: Stuart and Susan McElhinney, Chris Shell, Robert Taylor and Anne Wall. There were several items of old business: 1. The minutes of the meeting of May 22, 2007, were read and approved as read. 2. The treasurer’s report was read and accepted, showing a balance available for operation of $929.67, as of June 15th. Chris Shell then reported an additional income of $1500 for the sale of the Knott saddle that day, as discussed in the next item of old business. 3. Chris reported that she had been called by Farm Supply and requested to remove the saddle from their SLO store within the next couple of weeks. Right after that, she received a call from a woman who wanted to purchase the saddle. It turns out that the woman’s first saddle had been a Knott saddle, which she is still using nearly 40 years later. She had to pay for half that first saddle when she was 13; she made the money by giving riding lessons for $1 per lesson. The original saddle cost $600, and it took a year to get from the date of order, as each saddle was individually crafted. She told Chris that Knott priced the saddles by the number of flowers tooled onto the fenders and that, at 13, she could only afford three flowers. Her “new” Knott saddle has 5! It was decided at the meeting that the money would be reserved for equipment purchases. 4. There was no update on the polo or tee shirts that were ordered at the general meeting, as Hank was going to follow up with Carolyn on the status of the shirts and Hank was not at the meeting. 5. Certificates of appreciation were shown and approved as to form. Susan and Stuart will get some better certificate paper and frames. Julie Monser was not available for an update on the plaque of appreciation previously discussed. 6. No news on Creston Rodeo. 7. No news on presentations for the Rescue Glides, as both Kathe Hustace and Julie Monser were not at the meeting. 8. The date of the Sheriff’s Family Day has not been established.

Then, we moved on to new business. There was a short discussion as to whether the BBQ was new business or old business, but the secretary had, by executive fiat, decided it would be new business, so that was that. 1. The BBQ was enjoyed by all, with some delicious potluck presentations being made by members, and excellent meat was provided by Hank. It was decided that we could have been a little more organized as to the starting time for the party. It was thought that a spring get-together and another one in the fall would be good for the group. A gathering in Montana de Oro at Horse Camp, along with some trail riding, was considered as a possible fun event. 2. Because of the high fire danger we are facing this year, it was decided that Chris and Julie would work on a flow chart of emergency procedures, to make it clear who does what and when they do it. It was noted that Julie Monser and Robert Taylor handle dispatch for S. County and that Ron Patterson is handling No. County, it was thought. Susan will contact Kathe Hustace about this. Staging Commanders need to be named. The flow chart, when complete, will be emailed to all members for their reference. 3. Anne Wall was elected to the Board by acclamation. She will serve as a member at large. Also, as an ordained clergyperson, she volunteered to help at any emergencies as a chaplain. She has had extensive experience in dealing with stressful situations. 4. It was decided that these minutes and all following minutes will be posted to the HEET website (sloheet.org), to enhance member awareness and involvement. 5. Under other new business, Stuart and Susan mentioned that they had seen a demonstration of a rescue glide used to remove a [model] horse from a tipped-over trailer. In that demo, the rescue personnel had a heavy foam cap to put on the horse to protect its head. They obtained the name of the manufacturer and will follow up to find out cost, etc.. It was decided that these would be good additions to the glides and that the money was available for purchase, due to the sale of the saddle. However, more information is needed prior to the actual purchase. 6. Susan noted that the rescue personnel emphasized the importance of NOT opening any doors in a tipped trailer, as the sudden influx of light will cause a trapped horse to attempt to escape the trailer, often with extremely dire results. If you can’t wait for a vet, only go into the trailer with something like a tarp or blanket covering you and the opening, to dim the light as much as possible. Please pass this information on to your friends, as it is contrary to our first impulses. 7. Hank Gratton has a calendar of dates for Board meetings, which we will post on the website as soon as they are available. Remember that all Board meetings are open to all members. 8. We have been invited to have a table at the Equine Center’s annual horse owners expo at the Embassy Suites on November 11. 9. Chris brought in a horse registration page about which she had several concerns. First, it does not appear to be the rather complete document we generally use. Second, it needs a disclaimer whether we can always get livestock out of danger. Third, it needs a waiver of liability for damage to any animal resulting from its evacuation. 10. We plan to send out a regular mailing to all members and registered horse owners, updating what’s happening with HEET, as well as updating their information regarding their horses and property. Susan agreed to draft the first letter. This will probably go by snail mail until we have developed a functional mailing list. 11. Shelter locations were identified in No. County as the Fairgrounds; Templeton Livestock Market; the Equine Center (SLO); and the Madonna Inn (the livestock area). In S. County, the Santa Maria Fairgrounds and a couple of private ranches are the shelter locations.

The meeting was adjourned at 1949 (7:49 pm).

Respectfully submitted,

Susan McElhinney, Secretary

Just a quick update.  If you are taking advantage of the free class, there are a few changes.

Only Skills Date

             Saturday, July 14, 2007                     9 am - 11:30 am

I am trying to book the SLO Library.  If the location changes I will post it here.  So please check back the day on Friday, July 13.  If anyone has access to a different location we can use at no charge, call Nan.

Call Nan at 805.929.0921 to RSVP for the skills or if you have any questions.

Click here to view instructions