Large animal rescue is an infrequent , dangerous, emergency incident that is often mishandled by the fire service unless specific training has been received. The purpose of this action research was to determine if the establishment of a Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue Team (TLAER) would benefit firefighters and the public. Research sought to identify local emergencies involving large animals; how other jurisdictions handled similar calls; and what training, equipment, or policies firefighters needed to safely and successfully mitigate large animal emergencies. Data review and interviews found that local fire departments are not routinely prepared to effectively handle the wide array of large animal incidents they are responding to. The establishment of a TLAER program to increase firefighter and public safety, decrease iatrogenic injuries and mortality in animals, and provide an increased level of public service was recommended.