Animals

Planning for Animal Care in a Disaster

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In a disaster, wildlife and big and small animals need help just like people do.

Regional and state animal rescue group members, veterinarians and government officials put their heads together this week to discuss funding for training and share proven strategies for animal care in a disaster.

Approximately 100 first responders and animal rescue volunteers attended the Animals in Disasters Statewide Workshop held Thursday at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, where some animals were sheltered during the 2003 and 2007 firestorms. The workshop was organized by UC Davis Veterinary Medicine and the California Emergency Management Agency. A second workshop is being held Dec. 8 at UC Davis.

“The concept behind developing core curriculum for our first responders is to receive Department of Homeland Security certification so our government and non government agencies can apply for homeland security funds to pay for their training,” said Tracey Stevens, deputy director of UC Davis-International Animal Welfare Training Institute. “…Year to date, we’ve trained over 300 first responders.”

Stevens said the first responders have included law enforcement and firefighters

Dr. John Madigan, director of UC Davis-International Animal Welfare Training Institute, led a session on the need for Veterinary Emergency Response Teams statewide. He described their existing team based in Davis, which is one of the first in the state and can respond to national incidents when requested. He outlined the roles and responsibilities for veterinarians and talked about the need for more teams.

“One of the main missing components is that emergency management has not included veterinarians,” Madigan said.

He explained that the Animal Welfare Institute’s trainings aim to integrate veterinarians and animal rescue teams into emergency command structures. In the event of a disaster, these animal experts would work alongside and coordinate with firefighters, law enforcement and other emergency responders. 

Dan DeSousa of the San Diego County Department of Animal Services said locally the San Diego Humane Society has an Animal Rescue Reserves team that operates in a similar fashion as the state team.

More recently, the County has started a County Animal Response Team, said Animal Services Lt. Laura Ward. The team is composed of experienced animal rescuers who undergo regular training with the Department of Animal Services and will also train with the Animal Rescue Reserves. The volunteers are responsible for buying their own equipment and using their own vehicles, she said.

“With the CART team working with our department, that gives us more bodies and more experienced people to evacuate more animals and to do it safely,” DeSousa said.

At the Del Mar training, San Diego County Cal Fire and Ward also discussed how mutual aid works in a disaster and how it relates to animal rescues.

“Mutual aid is critically important to make any disaster response work,” Ward said.

Cal Fire Capt. Tony Hernandez said mutual aid has improved significantly over the last few years following the 2003 and 2007 fires. Hernandez said Cal Fire is now fine-tuning animal rescue response, largely in part to the links they have made with animal rescue organizations.

County fairgrounds staff also put on a presentation about their role in sheltering livestock, domestic animals and people during a disaster. DeSousa said that the fairgrounds administration has risen to the occasion to assist in a disaster, offering their venue even before they were asked in 2007.

The San Diego Animal Rescue Reserve also spoke to first responders about what kind of animal rescue equipment agencies should consider, how often they should train with it, and if they decide to get it, where they can purchase it.