"Be Prepared"
by Vickee Greer

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"Be Prepared" is the motto of The Boy and Girl Scouts of America. It is now taking on a more personalized meaning for me. I am reading Terri Crisp’s book; Out of Harm’s Way, described as "The Extraordinary True Story of One Woman’s Lifelong Devotion to Animal Rescue." I received the book as a Christmas gift from a special friend and am finding it compelling reading and recommend it to people who love animals.

Reno, Nevada, will be serving as the site for an Equine Disaster Preparedness Workshop on March 20 and 21. It will be coordinated and hosted by The Horse Review and funded by a few select sponsors who recognize the importance of this workshop especially to the northern Nevada region. This first training will be by invitation only. Key leaders in the region who would be involved in a real life disaster have been identified and invited to attend. The information they receive can then be passed on to other community members and organizations with a view towards disaster preparedness.

My own initial brush with equine disaster occurred with the grass fire in the Rancho Haven area of Red Rock Road in 1994. I learned about the fire at my office in Loyalton, California, and drove home early to see for myself that all was well. The fire was scaling the south side of the mountain that parallels Hwy. 395 and acts as a boundary to Rancho Haven. My husband was home and we checked with a few horse owners who lived closest to the path of the fire if it continued to spread. Not everyone was willing to believe that the fire might come close enough to be a threat. Time was precious but it was still early and easy to appear overanxious. We let it be known we would help move horses to our property if they changed their minds. Three horses were adopted mustangs that were pets and had not ridden in a trailer since they were brought to their new home. Needless to say, if it became necessary to move them by trailer, it could be a time-eating challenge.

Throughout the early evening the fire kept spreading. The mustang owners eventually decided to move them out to our place. It ultimately required the use of a stock trailer and one very strong cowboy with a lot of horse sense to successfully load the horses so they could be relocated to our arena.

We watched the progress of the fire from our property. Around 9 p.m. after we fed and watered the mustangs, I went in to take a shower. I could see brilliant orange flames shooting into the night on the ridge of the mountain behind our house. Just after I finished throwing on some clean clothes the phone rang and I answered it to hear the voice of Lynn Lloyd from the Red Rock Hounds hunt club say, "Vickee, I need you. Bring your trailer, now." Her voice was devoid of emotion and I knew the situation was urgent. I yelled for my husband, Jim. As we ran for the back door, I grabbed the keys to our truck, which was already hooked up, to our two-horse trailer. We drove through the dark and were at Lynn’s in a matter of minutes. It was a nightmare.

The wind had picked up and was blowing the fire downhill at incredible speed from the top of the mountain. The acrid smoke and embers from burning sagebrush were blowing sideways. The bright flickers from the embers reminded me of fireflies. It appeared to Jim and I that the fire was going to jump the road and completely destroy Lynn’s barn and home. Lynn had approximately thirty-five horses in the barn and paddock that night. I was still recovering from major knee surgery and could not get around well. It was also quite dangerous handling strange horses in the dark under these threatening conditions.

Jim would run to the barn and get a horse and lead it back to the trailer. Actually I remember being amazed that the horses behaved so well as the smoke was thick and embers were landing on them. Lynn’s horses are all used to step-up stock trailers and ours had a ramp. The first horse loaded quickly on the second try. The second horse stepped up the ramp, startled at the unfamiliar sound and feel, and flew backwards out of the trailer. I remember throwing the end of the lead rope out towards Jim and he made an awesome catch in the dark. I heard Lynn’s voice say out of nowhere, "If a horse doesn’t load right away, take it back to the barn and get another one." It was immediately understood that the horses would only get one chance that night. If they did not load, it was possible they would perish.

We loaded another horse and headed for home. We had taken the time that afternoon to put together a few pipe panel corrals, just in case people decided to relocate their horses. We were very glad that we had taken that precaution. The first and second trips went like clockwork. Both times we would drive up our driveway, unload, and secure the corrals and head back to Lynn’s. The fire conditions were worsening, if that was possible. Some of the houses that sat up on the hill appeared to be engulfed by the flames. I remember telling Jim that one house was "gone." It had to have been.

The third trip was different. In a matter of minutes between reaching our house and then turning around to go back to Lynn’s there was a police officer guarding the corner of Red Rock Road. There was a group of people talking to him as he stood beside his patrol car. We drove up and Jim rolled down his window. We explained that we were headed back to Lynn’s barn for another load of horses. He shook his head "no" and indicated that the "road was closed to through traffic and we had to turn around." Now things became desperate. My mind raced saying "what if"…what if our own horses needed to be rescued and people were not allowed to help us. The road had no more traffic than before so I made an immediate decision. Jim rolled up his window and glanced at me as if to say "Well?" I looked both directions and said, "Hang ON" and hit the accelerator. With my heart racing, we took off carefully but quickly down Red Rock Road towards the barn. To disobey an officer was unthinkable but the horses had to be rescued and Lynn was depending on us.

I could see the lights of the patrol car in my rearview mirror as it made a quick U-turn, presumably in pursuit of us. I was able to make it down to Lynn’s and swing into her circle drive. We jumped out to make what turned out to be our last load. To my immense relief the patrol car never appeared. Jim and I made the final turn for home with our last two charges in tow. The wind had changed direction and instead of threatening Lynn’s barn, it was cresting the ridge behind our house. I remember asking Jim, "If the fire heads towards us, and we have everyone else’s horses, then what?" He said quietly, "Then other people will need to help us like we have been helping them."

Gratefully, the wind died down within a half an hour. The fire ceased to be an immediate threat. When we finally made it to bed in the wee hours of the morning, we had bedded down and set out water for our nine equine guests as well as our own four horses. Amazingly, there was never one squeal or whinny from the horses. Maybe they understood they were safe.

Lynn’s horses were all successfully moved out of the area. In that time of need, people from as far off as Reno just showed up without being asked and worked to load horses and drive them to safety. By the next morning Lynn did not even know where all of her horses had been taken. Throughout the day the good Samaritans called to give her an accounting of the horses they had picked up. With the dawn also came the unbelievable news that not one structure had been lost. The Red Rock Fire Department joined by fire departments from many other communities stood their ground with the threatened houses and they saved them all. Everyone in the valley was mentally and physically exhausted. It had been one long and spectacular night. It was one night that Jim and I, along with many others, will never forget.

We realized after that fire how important it is to have a plan for our animals prior to a disaster. We were all extremely lucky that night. Depending on a plan and ourselves (along with a good helping of luck) seems more reasonable than depending on luck alone. At the Equine Disaster Preparedness Workshop in Reno, we will all learn how to "Be Prepared."