Vol. 3, No. 10, October 2007

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 Contents

Breaking Bulletin: Outbreak Anarchy!

This just in from Chris Floyd, COO of the Capital Area Chapter, American Red Cross! A
four-hour tabletop exercise titled "Outbreak Anarchy?is scheduled for Wednesday,
November 7 from 9:00-1:00 at the Capital Regional Medical Center, 2626 Care Drive
# 109, Tallahassee (see http://redcross.tallytown.com/panflu/outbreak/).

This exercise will provide participants an
opportunity to learn the importance of working
together when an influenza pandemic or other
disaster strikes. Participants will work within
assigned groups to undertake coordination of
activities such as health care planning and
preparedness, influenza pandemic response and
recovery. Business owners and community leaders
from throughout North Florida are invited to
participate and to recruit a minimum of three
individuals to represent their organization.

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American Humane Sponsors Course

The American Humane (AH) is sponsoring a course on disaster relief and animal
welfare November 14-15 (Wednesday-Thursday). According to Diane Kriz of AH,
anyone interested in the welfare of animals following a disaster should attend. The
training is scheduled to cover:

Day 1

*   Intro to American Humane Society
*   Perspective on national disaster response and relief 
*   NIMS or incident command briefing 
*   Structure of response team 
*   Reporting roles 
*   Incident specific response and interagency cooperation 
*   Disaster Public Relations 101
*   Animal First Aid

   American Humane says that its Red Star Animal Emergency
   Services "Rescue Rig?is on the road to help animal welfare
   organizations across the country. Newly outfitted and
   refurbished, this 82-foot-long disaster-response vehicle is
   available for display and public tours at a selected number of
   events during the coming year - at no cost to a participating
   agency. The Rescue Rig can help your organization, adoption
   event or fundraiser gain media exposure while educating your
   community about animal rescue and care during disasters.
   Contact American Humane at (303) 792-9900.

Day 2

*   Personal Preparedness
*   Human/Animal Shelter co-location
*   Local response coordinated with national team
*   Small animal handling
*   Large animal handling
*   Mock shelter set up and response
*   Debrief and certificate presentation


The Humane Society of Greater Miami will provide
food for both days. Tuition is $85 for American
Humane Society members and $100 for all others.
For additional information or for assistance

A veterinarian performs eye surgery
in the American Humane Rescue
Rig's surgical unit.
 registering, contact:

Dara Solomon, Intern [dara@humanesocietymiami.org]
Humane Society of Greater Miami/Adopt-A-Pet
16101 W. Dixie Highway
North Miami Beach, Florida 33160
(305) 749-1834

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West Nile Virus Fatality in Florida

A Bay County man died after becoming infected with West Nile virus disease in July
2007. Shortly afterward, a second Bay County resident became ill with West Nile, but
recovered. The local mosquito control district, along with the Florida A&M University,
John A. Mulrennan Sr., Public Health Entomology Research & Education Center
(PHEREC) collected mosquito samples from the area where the infected individuals
lived and submitted them to the FL Department of Health Bureau of Laboratories ?
Tampa Branch for testing. None of the mosquito pools were found to be positive for
West Nile virus.

Bay County has had four sentinel chickens
seroconvert* to West Nile virus, however, during
August and September. No equine cases of West
Nile have been reported in Florida this year.

Overall, arbovirus activity levels have remained
low in 2007. This can be explained in part by the
drought-like conditions experienced throughout
much of the state. For more information on
arbovirus surveillance, please visit
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/environment/commu
nity/arboviral/index.html.

The mosquito is a vector for West Nile
virus and equine encephalitis virus.

For information, contact Danielle Stanek, DVM, Medical Epidemiologist-Bureau of
Community Environmental Health [Danielle_Stanek@doh.state.fl.us, office 850-245-
4117 and cell 850-294-1087].

* Seroconversion: The development of detectable antibodies in the blood directed
against an infectious agent. It normally takes some time for antibodies to develop
after the initial exposure to the agent. Following seroconversion, a person (or a
chicken) tests positive in tests based on the presence of antibodies.

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Pandemic Planning for Personnel Shortages

After participating in three health department pandemic tabletop exercises, Volusia County's Division of Emergency Management has established a plan for operating the county with 40 percent of its workforce either sick, taking care of sick loved ones, or afraid to report to work.

Called the "Pandemic Staffing Plan,?it is modeled after the
Continuity of Operation Plan (COOP) developed several
years ago. Anne-Carol Burke, Community Preparedness
Coordinator for the Florida Hospital Association, who has
experience working for the Florida Department of Health,
wrote Volusia's plan.

Meeting with each department and their divisions, "mission
essential functions?were identified. Then, using a 40
percent absenteeism rate, a staffing plan was established
to assure continuity of these functions. The resulting plan identifies personnel
qualified to replace managers and supervisors. Gaps in cross training and unique
positions, such as those with few back-ups, were identified.

Each department and division forecast activities that could be cut back or temporarily
eliminated during a pandemic. For example:

     ? The Volusia Library system cut its hours and closed some smaller libraries,
collapsing their service into larger regional libraries.
     ? The Volusia County Fire Department identified stations that could go from
three to two firefighters per truck, and scheduled administrative staff for shift work.

   Providing essential services required
   by your county residents will be a
   challenge with half your work force.

Built into the plan were such elements as:
     ? modifying work schedules to separate employees, thus cutting exposure,
     ? providing sanitary wipes and gel to workstations (This is now common practice for prevention.)
     ? discouraging employees from using each other's telephone and computers as these may spread of disease.

During the plan's development the importance of information technology became apparent. According to Richard Moore, the Emergency
Management Planner coordinating the project, without the ability to staff the IT department, many county functions simply come to a halt.

Volusia County Emergency Management Director Jim Ryan says that like so many
plans, he hopes the county will never have to implement it. "If we have to use it,
however,?Ryan says, "the county is better prepared to continue services then we
were before.?

For additional information contact Richard Moore at rmoore@co.volusia.fl.us.

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FSA Notes October 15th Sign-Up

  Farmers who suffered actual crop losses or who were prevented from planting
  because of natural disasters from 2005-07 may be eligible to receive benefits
  through the Crop Disaster Program. Sign-up for quantity losses begins October 15
  while sign-up for quality losses will begin shortly. For information, contact your
  nearest Farm Service Agency office or via the Internet at www.fsa.usda.gov.

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SART Members Complete Advanced Training

Florida SART members John Haven, Director of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, and David Perry, DOACS ACP Administrator, have participated in instructor training courses at the Center for Disaster Preparedness in Anniston, Alabama

   John Haven directs visitors to the
   Florida VETMED exhibit at the
   2007 SART Conference.

(www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docs/fs-cdp.htm).

Completion of the weeklong E-449 training course
allows Haven (who has completed the course) and
Perry (who will complete it soon) to teach modules in
the Incident Command System. "E-449 is a train-the-
trainer program,?Haven says. While IS 100, IS 200
and IS 700 are web based and are required before
volunteers can work within governmental systems in
emergency situations, E-499 is required to teach IS
300 and IS 400. "We will be able to train SART
members without their organization incurring extra
charges,?says Haven. "We will also be able to bring
the web based classes into the
field and provide SART like context for those who will
find this more valuable, and improve their
understanding.

An overview of independent study courses from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is available at http://training.fema.gov/IS/crslist.asp.

NOTE: The U.F. College of Veterinary Medicine will continue to expand its course offerings in the Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) fields, Equine Technical Rescue and Infectious Disease Training. Details will follow as course dates and locations are announced.

   David Perry (right) discusses
   emergency preparedness issues
   with Dr. Tom Holt.

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Through The Grapevine: Name That Organization!

  "The mission of __________ as a network of individuals and organizations, is to
  prevent cruelty, abuse, neglect, and exploitation of children and animals and to
  assure that their interests and well-being are fully, effectively, and humanely
  guaranteed by an aware and caring society.
  ?__________ envisions a nation where no child or animal will ever be a victim of
  willful abuse or neglect. As a recognized leader in professional education, training
  and advocacy, research and evaluation, __________ joins with other similarly
  missioned individuals and organizations to make this vision a reality.?

*Can you name this organization? See end of newsletter for answer!

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Update ?Florida Veterinary Reserve Corps

According to John Haven, Director of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville, the Florida Veterinary Reserve Corps has received more than 50 applications. In early November, Haven says, they will contact vets and vet techs who have expressed interest and roll out the training program. "We are very excited about the opportunity the Vet Corps gives the state of Florida,?Haven says, "to be prepared before an emergency or disaster strikes.?/p> Florida's Vet Corps enlists vets and vet techs to volunteer their services responding to animal emergencies in Florida. During activation, volunteers will work within the ESF-17 incident command structure 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. 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 asked to serve
only when activated but must adhere to
state regulations and rules. Minimal
training on line and during activation is
required. Volunteers will be informed
about emergency situations and volunteer
needs, but 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.

Interested individuals are requested to contact John Haven at the College of Veterinary Medicine: (352) 392-2213 x 1-3154 or havenj@mail.vetmed.ufl.edu. (A pdf copy of the application is attached for downloading. It is not an interactive form, however, and it 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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FYI: Inter-Agency Avian Influenza Response Training

Four regional avian influenza strike team training events involving Florida Department of Health (FDOH), Epidemiology and Environmental Health strike teams as well as responders from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), United States Department of Agriculture Veterinary Services (USDA VS), USDA Wildlife Services and Florida Fish, and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) are ongoing. The sessions are for two days each and provide training for approximately 60 people at each program. Facilitators include Dr. Carina Blackmore and Dr. Richard Hopkins of FDOH, Dr. Tom Holt from FDACS Animal Industries, Dr. Suzan Loerzel of USDA VS and Dr. Dan Wolf of FWC.

Training addresses both the detection of and response to an avian influenza epizootic with possible human infections, and the rapid response to human cases. Topics include the ICS structure in an Avian Influenza response, background on the Florida and US poultry industry, personal protective equipment and biosecurity, human and animal surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, case management, and an overview of strike team challenges and conditions.

The format is introductory presentations with interdisciplinary group exercises and is modeled after a national CDC led interagency exercise. The first training program was recently held at Alachua County Health Department in Gainesville and course evaluations were very positive. Participants felt multi-agency participation was particularly beneficial. Training sessions in Okaloosa, Polk, and Broward County are planned during the next two months.

For information, contact Danielle Stanek, DVM, Medical Epidemiologist-Bureau of Community Environmental Health [Danielle_Stanek@doh.state.fl.us, office 850-245-4117 and cell 850-294-1087].

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   The Peabody Hotel, Orlando.


Homeland Security Conference

"Bringing it Home"

The Southeast Homeland Security Conference is set for the Peabody Hotel in Orlando December 10-14. Richard Moore, Conference Educational Chair, has passed along the tentative agenda and notes that most speakers are now confirmed. Please check www.sehomelandsecurityconference.com for registration information, the conference brochure and additional details.

This conference is sponsored by the Florida Division of Emergency Management in cooperation with the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT ?www.mipt.org), which was begun after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City April 19, 1995. A non-profit "think tank,?the MIPT mission is to inform the public about
terrorism prevention and responder preparedness. Additional sponsors include Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Center for Disaster Risk Policy at FSU and the International Emergency Management Society.

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Too Late...This Time

In a recent email, SART member Vicki Lawry (vicshadyl@aol.com), who is president of AHOOF and affiliated with the Sunshine State Horse Council noted, "We have had a high number of abused and neglected horses found dead this past year and mainly the past two months. I think education is part of it, with feed prices going up and the slaughter issue. Horses in this state cannot survive on grass alone. I'm passing along
this announcement even though it is late because I believe it is important for our SART members to be aware of training opportunities and sources.?br>

Bay Area Disaster Animal Response Team (DART) and St. Petersburg College of Veterinary Technology
partner to offer 10-week training to the professional veterinary community to become DART Certified. Training is normally restricted to college students and involves understanding disaster situations and equipment used in disaster response. Classes are normally in the evening, one day per week. The SPC Veterinary Technology Parking lot located at 7200 66th St. Pinellas Park, Florida 33781. This training has been approved by the Humane Society of United States (HSUS). If you would like to find out more about this or future events, please email tommy225@tampabay.rr.com.

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"Lucky" Receives New Lease On Life

MARION COUNTY, Fla. (October 3, 2007) ?"Lucky,?a German Shepherd/Chow mix, has a new lease on life thanks to Marion County Fire Rescue (MCFR) firefighters and Marion County Code Enforcement Officers. The 20-pound stray wandered into a heavily wooded area located at 17950 NE 21 Court in Citra and became trapped in an abandoned well. Delma Pons, a local resident who lives near the wooded area, called Marion County Code Enforcement and reported hearing a dog barking in the area during the week.

MCFR firefighters received a call to help at 5:05 p.m. and arrived just four minutes later. They used chain saws to cut a 25-foot path through the wooded area and discovered a six-foot wide, 20-foot deep well...and the dog.

Lucky's charm was MCFR firefighter/paramedic Daniel Jodoin who used a 24-foot extension ladder and safety-line to access the canine. This is Jodoin's second animal rescue. He used a pet rescue kit in April to revive five-year-old "Patches,?a black and white Shih Tzu that was overcome by smoke in a house fire in Silver Springs Shores.

Code Enforcement Field Supervisor Dennis Underwood said the dog ?he named it "Lucky??was taken to an emergency veterinarian clinic where it was treated for dehydration and hunger. Placed on a special diet, Lucky was also treated for heartworms. Once Lucky is healthy ?and neutered ?Underwood said, the dog is available for adoption from the Marion County Animal Center (352) 671-8700.

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*Through The Grapevine Answer

  It is "American Humane?and you can learn all about this 150-year-old organization at
  its web site www.americanhumane.org.

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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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