Vol. 3, No. 9, September 2007

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 Contents


"Volusia Prepares Business?

Established in June 2005, Volusia Prepares Business (VPB) connects the private sector with the government in Volusia County. The need became apparent following the 2004 Hurricane Season.

Richard Moore, SART Member and County Liaison to VPB, says that even though there have been no threatening

hurricanes recently, there have been massive fires, drought and tornadoes. Thus,
VPB
1.   Creates a way to communicate information to employers and their employees
  regarding natural disasters, Homeland Security issues and health
  emergencies. VPB can help avoid misinformation and even panic.
2.   Provides training to the private sector, anything from simple awareness
  presentations to specialized hazardous material and emergency response
  training. VPB can help prepare for and mitigate the effects of a disaster.
3.   Provides a resource database, which can serve as a conduit of immediate
  information between government and the private sector. The VPB "clearing
  house?can identify companies that need immediate help to stay in operation,
  for instance. By helping them continue to operate, Volusia County residents
  remain employed and the economy vibrant.

"Weve worked with Volusia Countys seven Chambers of Commerce, community colleges, the Center for Business Excellence ?even condominium associations,?Moore says. "We tested the concept during the statewide 2007 hurricane exercise and made a presentation at FEMAs Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Maryland (http://training.fema.gov/). Were going to take this plan to Tallahassee in October to discuss the concept with the ESF 18 'Business & Industry?staff.

Working partnerships between its business community and government agencies will help a community prepare for, mitigate the effects of and recover from a disaster more effectively.

"One other note is that we try to keep VPB 'meeting-free?and work via Internet and telephone. Everyone I know already has all the meetings they can handle.

To learn more about this innovative grassroots concept, visit this Internet site: http://volusia.org/prepares/default.htm. Richard Moore, Planner II with the Volusia County Division of Emergency Management, can be reached at (386) 254-1500 x1031 or via email at
rmoore@co.volusia.fl.us.

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HAZMAT Training is FREE to SART members!

The U.F. College of Veterinary Medicine will offer a two-hour Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) Awareness Training program in conjunction with Gainesville Fire Rescue on October 26th from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. The course will include classroom instruction as well as static display of HAZMAT trucks and equipment that program attendees can inspect. Seating is limited, so please RSVP by contacting John Haven by email (havenj@vetmed.ufl.edu). The program is free to SART members.

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Through the Grapevine

Local Initiatives
  "One of our goals in Volusia County is to maximize our ability to respond to disasters
  locally. We recognize that the state and federal levels can bring much greater
  resources to bear in an emergency situation, but trained and prepared local first
  response is timely ?it can almost be immediate ?and highly efficient. Effective local
  response, supplemented by state and federal efforts, give us the best possible
  opportunity to mitigate the effects of a disaster in our community.

Richard Moore
Planner II, Volusia County Division of Emergency Management

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SART ?Whats in a name?

State Agricultural Resource Team or State Animal Resource Team?
What about SAART ?State Agricultural and Animal Response Team?
Or even SAARRT, the State Agricultural and Animal Response and Resource Team?

Between John Havens discussion of initiatives at
the College of Veterinary Medicine, U.F. and Art
Johnstones discussion of regional cooperation
opportunities in disaster preparation, the
September meeting of the Advisory Board, meeting
at the Florida Farm Bureau Building in Gainesville,
Wednesday September 12, 2007 briefly discussed
matching the name with the mission.

What do you think? We would like to collect ideas
from members. Should we change the name of our
loose-knit, but powerful organization to more accurately reflect our mission? After all, SART is a MAC, a multi-agency coordination group, not a group of first responders. Do
you have an opinion and would you share it with the group?


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Vet School, FVMA and FDACS
Launch Veterinary Reserve Corps


"Florida veterinarians and animal health technicians
have often volunteered to assist animal owners and
local officials responding to animal emergencies," says
John Haven, Director of the University of Florida
College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville. "Now we
are recruiting more volunteers to help protect our
state. Anyone who would like to learn more about or
join the Veterinary Reserve Corps should contact
FDACS for an application [850-410-0900 or
vetcorps@doacs.state.fl.us] as soon as possible."

According to their recently printed brochure, the
Florida Veterinary Corps has been established to enlist
vets (and vet techs) who are willing to volunteer their
services in responding to animal emergencies in

Florida. During activation, volunteers will work within an incident command structure
under ESF-17 as part of the State Emergency Response Team.

The Corps will be a component of Florida SART under the U.F. College of Veterinary
Medicine and FDACS-DAI and volunteers will be kept informed as to the status of
emergencies and the need for volunteers. Volunteers may serve in infrastructure
assessment teams, in triage or emergency animal treatment teams, or in animal
disease surveillance or control teams.

Corps volunteers will be required to serve only when activated but must adhere to all
state regulations and rules. Minimal training online and during activation is required.
Volunteers will need to stay informed as to emergency status and volunteer needs,
but they will only be activated in response to specific emergency situations.
Volunteers called upon may decline service at any time depending upon their
personal needs and circumstances.


Rationale:
Natural disasters are unpredictable and cannot be prevented.
Animal agriculture in Florida is highly vulnerable to
severe disruption and financial loss through natural
disasters and exotic or zoonotic diseases.
Florida is at high risk for an outbreak of an exotic
animal disease.
County and state agencies must be prepared to respond to animal disasters through
planning and identification of human and material resources.
Protecting agriculture begins locally, because outside assistance may not be
available for hours or days.
FDACS-DAI and the College of Veterinary Medicine will provide training in NIMS and
foreign animal and zoonotic diseases through on-site and online courses. This
training is required for credentialing by DHS and FEMA. For those interested,
additional training in various topics will be provided.

Interested individuals may contact John Haven at the College of Veterinary Medicine:
(352) 392-4700 x 3154 or havenj@mail.vetmed.ufl.edu. ( A pdf copy of the
application is attached for downloading
, but it is not an interactive form and will need
to be printed, completed and mailed to Joe Kight, Division of Animal Industry, Florida
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 407 S. Calhoun Street, Mayo
Building, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0800.)

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FSA News

Closings for Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program Now Set by Regions

FSA can now set application closing dates for its Noninsured Crop Disaster
Assistance Program (NAP) based on geographic region. This allows producers to
report crops in a timelier manner without having to guess what kind of crops they will
be planting in advance. The state's NAP regions will be split into three areas: North,
Central and South. This requires changes in the National Crop Table with regards to
NAP application closing dates.

NAP provides financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops when low
yields, loss of inventory or prevented planting occur as a result of natural disasters.
Eligible producers must apply for coverage of non-insurable crops using Form CCC-
471, "Application for Coverage," and pay the applicable service fees at their local FSA
office. The application and service fees must be filed by the application closing date
as established by the producer's FSA state committee (http://www.fsa.usda.gov).

One-Month Extension of MILC Payments

USDAs Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) has extended the Milk Income Loss
Contract (MILC) program payment rate calculation at 34-percent for September
2007. MILC compensates dairy producers when domestic milk prices fall below a
specified level.

The "U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability
Appropriations Act, 2007" extends the MILC payment period and rate for one month.
Previously, the payment period and 34-percent rate expired at the end of August
2007, and the payment rate for September 2007 was zero.


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Through the Grapevine

Good Planning and still, Unintended Consequences

 "An example of that type of unintended consequence is what happened during
 the 2001 Foot-and-Mouth outbreak in the United Kingdom. They were so
 overwhelmed with massive volume of animal carcasses needing disposal that they
 often opted for open pit burning. Unfortunately, in their rush, using creosote-soaked
 railroad ties in open pyres created serious public concerns over potential health
 effects, air quality, and release of environmental contaminants.?/p>

 Dr. Loerzel added, "Every emergency is a little different and it is very difficult, if not
 impossible, to have a specific plan for every potential variable. However, planning
 ahead and trying to address difficult issues such as carcass disposal is extremely
 important in reducing the need for making difficult choices in the midst of an urgent
 situation. There are no perfect solutions to mass carcass disposal so having a plan
 ahead of time is all the more important.?/p>

Susan Loerzel, DVM, PhD
Area Emergency Coordinator
APHIS, USDA

 Editors Note: The 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak in England, which lasted 221 days,
 cost an estimated ? billion and resulted in the slaughter of more than six million
 animals. (www.telegraph.co.uk)

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Florida EARS Team Helps in Texas

When Raquel Aluisy received a call from Liz Wang, Executive Director of the Texas
State Animal Resource Team (TXSART) in Austin on Monday August 20th to set up a
pet-friendly shelter ahead of the anticipated arrival of Hurricane Dean, she
immediately applied for vacation from her "full-time?job with Verizon. Accompanying
her as part of the United Animal Nations?EARS Shelter Management Team were
specialists in Shelter Operations and Logistics.


The EARS team spent three days in
Laredo, an evacuation destination for
people fleeing the Brownsville-McAllen
area along the Rio Grande border with
Mexico. The team reported to a Fire Chief
who had responsibility for 26 people-
shelters. At first the Texans wanted to
keep animals in cages outside school
buildings, but with their disaster
experience the Florida EARS group
understood that plan would not work and
so located a separate structure.

Dean, eventually a Category 5 storm, slammed the Yucatan and Mexico, but Texas was spared and the team returned to Florida on Wednesday.

How does she reflect on the experience? "We did not have trouble using school buses to transport people with their pets,?she says. "That is an issue we have still not worked out satisfactorily in Florida.?



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- Help Is Requested by SART Members -


Doctor Hank Stoddard in Dixie County:
"Yes, dog fighting is increasing and becoming better
organized. Since Dixie County is the "golden buckle?
on the dog fighting belt, we have contact routes to
sponsoring organizations. I am currently acting as an
expert consultant to the prosecution legal firm on a pit
bull human attack event. If not too much trouble, I
would appreciate any local information about the breed,
organized fighting and human attacks that may
be useful.?Please respond to Doc Hank at: dochank@bellsouth.net.

Detective Annie Henderson, Clay County Sheriffs Office ?Animal Crime Unit:
"I don't know if other counties are having this problem but Clay County is seeing a lot
of unqualified horse and dog rescues showing up that are not 501(3)c non profits.
These are people that are taking animals from individuals that can no longer keep
them or care for them, mostly getting them for free
due to poor condition of the animal. They are
breeding old mares and telling people who adopt
them they are pregnant. They are charging $500 to
$800 adoption fees for horses that are old and in
poor shape playing on their emotions and telling
inexperienced horse people that the animal is only
15 or 16 years old. Only to have the horse get sick
and have to be euthanized a short time later. Are other counties are
having this issue??Please respond to Detective
Henderson at: ahenderson@claysheriff.com.

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Through the Grapevine

Help is on the way!

 "Individual vets want a place to help in an emergency and the Veterinary Reserve
 Corps is a place to plug 'em in. Plus, the Corps can help bring independent groups
 and freelancers efficiently into the response system, especially for legal and liability
 issues. The Veterinary Reserve Corps can give us a high number of organized and
 well-trained boots on the ground following a disaster. We had 40 interested
 veterinarians on our first day of organization!?/p>

John Haven
Director, U.F. College of Veterinary Medicine

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What is "US&R??

According to FEMA (www.fema.gov/emergency/usr/), urban search-and-rescue (US&R) involves the location, rescue (extrication), and initial medical stabilization of victims trapped in confined spaces. Structural collapse is most often the cause of victims being trapped, but victims may also be trapped in transportation accidents, mines and collapsed trenches.

Urban search-and-rescue is considered a "multi-hazard" discipline as it may be needed for a variety of emergencies or disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, storms and tornadoes, floods, dam failures, technological accidents, terrorist activities and hazardous materials releases. The events may be slow in developing, as in the case of hurricanes, or sudden, as in the case of earthquakes.

A US&R Task Force consists of two 31-person teams, four canines, and a comprehensive equipment cache. (The FEMA site does not, as of this date, refer specifically to humans or animals, but speaks of "victims.? If a disaster event warrants national US&R support, FEMA will deploy the three closest task forces within six hours of notification, and additional teams as necessary. The role of these task forces is to support state and local emergency responders' efforts to locate victims and manage recovery operations.

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FSA: New Livestock/Crop Disaster Programs

Three new ad hoc disaster programs will soon be available to assist farmers and ranchers who suffered losses caused by natural disasters in recent years: the Livestock Compensation Program, Livestock Indemnity Program and Crop Disaster Program.

Livestock Compensation Program
Apply to receive benefits beginning September 10. Compensates for feed losses between January 1, 2005 and February 28, 2007, due to a natural disaster. Producers may also receive compensation for calendar year 2007 grazing losses caused by wildfire.

Livestock Indemnity Program
Apply to receive benefits beginning September 10. Compensates for losses between January 1, 2005 and February 28, 2007 that resulted from natural disasters.

Crop Disaster Program
Apply to receive benefits beginning October 15. Provides benefits for quantity and quality losses ?minimum 35 percent ?to 2005, 2006, or 2007 crops from natural disasters if planted before February 28, 2007 or, in the case of prevented plantings, for crops that would have been planted before that date. Producers must have insurance or NAP coverage. Multiple commodities eligible.

Information about LCP, LIP and CDP is available in a fact sheet titled "Agricultural Assistance Act of 2007,?on FSA's web site, http://www.fsa.usda.gov; click on Disaster Assistance Programs.

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Paintball Toxicosis in Dog


Our Ocala friends Wayne and Jackie Dollack of
Waynes World of Paintball (www.waynes-world.com)
forwarded a note recently about "paintball poisoning?
which was originally sent from Caroline Donaldson,
DVM. According to Donaldsons note, "From January
1998 to January 2003, the ASPCA poison Control
Center (APCC) received 44 calls regarding paintball
ingestion by dogs that subsequently developed clinical
signs. In some cases, the dogs may have ingested as many as 500 (!) paintballs at one time. Paintball ingredients vary depending on the manufacturer.

"In dogs, the most common clinical signs reported to the ASPCA APCC were vomiting (with or without paint), ataxia, diarrhea and tremors. These signs occurred as early as one hour after ingestion. In two cases, the dogs were euthanized because their central nervous system signs were unresponsive to treatment; no other deaths were reported. The exact number of ingested paintballs required to cause clinical signs is unknown. In one case, a 90-pound Labrador retriever showed clinical signs after ingesting 15 paintballs.

If you believe that your dog is a victim of "paintball poisoning?direct your veterinarian to www.aspca.org/site/DocServer/toxbrief1203.pdf?docID+1521.

[Editors Note: In 2004 I researched and wrote a book called ?em>Paintball Digest: The
Complete Guide to Games, Gear and Tactics?
for Krause Publications. Paintball
manufacturer DraXxus told me that,
"...modern paintballs are made entirely of
non-toxic, food-grade ingredients, although
oil-based paintballs are still made for
foresters and farmers.?Actually what is inside
the hollow gelatin ball is polyethylene glycol
and wax. Used in substances like toothpaste,
polyethylene glycol has a "low toxicity."]

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Through the Grapevine

The Next SART Conference

 "Feedback weve gotten based on this years SART Conference in Clearwater was
 overwhelmingly positive. Many people have kicked around the idea of the timing of
 our conferences, remembering that their purposes are to educate and inform and
 help people who attend form networks for cooperation and mutual assistance. I'd like
 to propose that we have them every other year. In other words, our next conference
 would be held on around June 1st 2009. We would like to hear your thoughts and
 ideas ?and suggestions about where the next conference should be held.?

Joe Kight, Senior Management Analyst II
ESF-17 ECO
Division of Animal Industry, FDACS

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Broadening the Exotic Discussion


The world of invasive plants, animals and insects balances among conflicting forces as precariously as a tightrope walker in swirling fog. How far could she fall? Perhaps only inches or perhaps that slender rope stretches across a dark and bottomless chasm.

How much harm does an introduced
species cause? No one can be certain in
advance, but the ecosystem was roughly
balanced before Columbus?day, and new
species alter a balance. The common carp

 Florida Statute 372.265 "Regulation of
 Foreign Animals?prohibits the release of
 animals into the wild that are not native to
 Florida.

have altered it enormously; the Muscovy duck has apparently had little effect; an infestation of brown tree snakes might be terrifyingly destructive.

What if a new butterfly with shimmering iridescent violet, magenta and yellow wings were proliferating in Florida; first, by the thousands and then by the hundreds of thousands? The butterfly lays eggs only on roses, its larvae consuming them voraciously? You could reasonably expect a significant, perhaps a heated public debate. Neither the butterfly nor the rose, as we grow it in our gardens, are native to Florida.

Example: Starling and Parakeet

Such debates are part of our daily conversation with one another and with nature in the Sunshine State. Consider the European Starling and the Monk Parakeet. Each is an exotic invasive, but perhaps their designation should change. Populations of both are large and reproducing, although the starling is a "nasty pest?while the parakeet, perhaps because it is brightly colored, is generally thought of as a "charming new resident.?


A society dedicated to bringing to America all
of the birds mentioned in Shakespeare
released 80 starlings in New York's Central
Park in 1890. Today, there may be 200
million starlings in North America and you
can find these adaptable, gregarious birds in
flocks in your neighborhood parks. Roosts
with more than a million birds have been
reported. Thank goodness William did not
write science fiction? Loud. Messy.
Invasive. We may despise them, but the
starling is here to stay.

The latest information about monk (also called Quaker) parakeets in Florida can be found at (http://myfwc.com/critters/exotics/exotics.asp) but web sites from Chicago (http://chicagowildernessmag.org/issues/winter2003/monkparakeets.html) and New York (www.brooklynparrots.com) report established breeding colonies. Apparently this Argentine bird is now wild in the U.S. after escaping from pet stores or the cages of pet owners in the late ?0s or being intentionally released. In other words, the charming green and white bird is similar to the starling but with huge, identifiable nests and, as its far fewer numbers and confining urban niche indicate, it is not as successful.


Cute. Messy. Invasive. We may thrill to see
them, but this parakeet is apparently hanging
on and a quick check of on-line sources
indicates that this exotic has followers who file
lawsuits on its behalf, write letters to the
editor and form support groups.


According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission (at
www.myfwc.com), "The Monk Parakeet is
probably the most widespread and successful
parrot in Florida, due in large part to its highly
colonial behavior.?Does this leave a great deal unsaid? Do we make evaluations about exotic species individually based on their "cuddle value?or their "prettiness??as we sometimes do with endangered species? And should the starling and Monk parakeet now be considered "native??Many questions. Few good answers.

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SART Member, Veterinarian Passes Away

[NOTE: When we heard that Dr. Ernest Smith wished to be removed from the SART member rolls, we inquired about the reason. His daughter Mindy replied that the good doctor had passed away. "Dad volunteered with so many organizations we aren't even sure what they all are.?Because Florida SART is a community we pass along Dr. Smith's obituary.]

Dr. Ernest Smith, of Tequesta, FL passed away at age
64. Born in Brooklyn, NY, he moved to Florida in 1966 at
age 23 after graduating from Cornell University with a
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Smith founded Animal
Hospital by the Lake and the Animal Dermatology Clinic in
West Palm Beach where he practiced for 23 years. He
continued to teach, consult, and volunteer after his
retirement. Dr. Smith was a past president of the Cornell
Club and American Lung Association Southeast Region and
an active volunteer with the Veterinary Medical Assistance
Team (VMAT) and other local and national disaster preparedness and relief organizations associated with Homeland Security and Defense. He also volunteered at Cornell's Sustainability and Biodiversity Labs in the Dominican Republic and Peru and taught at the University of Florida and Cornell University. Dr. Smith loved to travel and scuba dive. He will be sorely missed by the people and animals that he helped.

Dr. Smith loved his family, profession and alma mater, Cornell. He recently endowed the Dr. Robert W. Kirk Practitioner in Residence program at Cornell to honor an influential teacher and encourage practicing veterinarians to expand their knowledge and use their experience to educate students.

Dr. Smith is survived by his wife of 39 years, Abby Smith and children Jeremy (New Orleans, LA) and Mindy (Raleigh, NC), as well as his sister Lois Rubin and her husband, Richard Rubin; brother and sister-in-law, Barry and Arminda Perl; and in-laws, Hank and Marsette Perl. He was preceded in death by his parents, Saul and Ann Smith.

Donations in Ernest Smith's name can be made to the Palm Beach Synagogue (www.pbos.org) or to the Robert W. Kirk Practitioner-in-Residence Fund, Office of Alumni Affairs and Development, Box 39, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-6401.

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Florida's Wildlife ?Signs

For an opportunity to win one of our coveted Elvis Memorial Bookmarks, can you tell us (rsa5@cox.net) where this sign is located? With the "Crocodile Crossing?warning posted in the Upper Keys on U.S. Highway 1, it must easily be one of Florida's most exotic traffic signs.

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About the SART Sentinel

Editor: Rick Sapp, PhD, Technical Writer, Florida Department of
Agriculture & Consumer Services, Division of Animal Industry [rsa5@cox.net]

Associate Editor: Joe Kight, State ESF-17 Coordinator, Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Division of Animal Industry [kightj@doacs.state.fl.us]

The SART SENTINEL is an E-mail newsletter prepared monthly by Rick Sapp and the members of the Florida State Agricultural Response Team. Past issues of the Sentinel are archived on the Florida SART Web Site, www.flsart.org.

If you have a story or photo that you would like to have considered for publication in The SART SENTINEL, please contact the Editors.

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