Let's try to get a count of all the
animals that we have and try to make
identifications where we can. All
the animals going off-site I'll need
to collect their medical exam forms to
send with the animal. If they go into the truck
I need to be keeping a count of how
need to be keeping a count of how many dogs and cats, how many whatever
we have so if y'all could just make sure
that I see you before you load them on.
[Music]
On a clear spring day dozens of
volunteers from across Florida have
gathered at a Tallahassee Animal Shelter
to prepare for a disaster.
[Music]
A wide variety of organizations have
converged on the facility to move its
animal population to a safe area in
nearby Wakulla County. This is only a
training exercise but everyone is
working as if lives depend on it.
Each group has specific responsibilities
that ensure everything runs like
clockwork. Within a matter of hours
the companion animals arrive safely at
their destination out of harm's way.
The bright skies and cheerful faces are
in stark contrast to the events of 2004
that led to this day's exercise.
The state of Florida has an emergency
response plan in place to deal with
everything from transportation and
communication to animals and agriculture.
When a disaster strikes those
responsible for the emergency support
functions or ESFs set their plans in
action and coordinate the relief efforts.
During these same emergencies a number
of volunteer groups also respond. While
they genuinely try to help, their areas
of expertise often overlap, their work
would be duplicated and any available
resources would be stretched too thin. As
a result their efforts would ultimately
be ineffective. To prevent this
duplication of efforts when dealing with
animals and agriculture in emergencies
the Florida Department of Agriculture
and Consumer Services, the lead agency
for ESF17 teamed up with the University
of Florida's Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences, UF's College of
Veterinary Medicine, and the USDA's Farm
Service Agency to develop a new approach
to disaster relief. Together they formed
a coordinated multi-agency group with
the range of resources and talent to
quickly and effectively respond to any
animal or AG emergency. What they created
was the Florida State Agricultural
Response Team better known as SART.
When an emergency strikes it's a local
matter first,
but when resources are exhausted or if
the situation is beyond the experience
of the local emergency management
operations all it takes is a call from
the animal or AG emergency management
leader and SART moves into action. From
the beginning SART established close
ties with all of Florida's County
Extension services, working with them to
see how SART could best help the
community in a time of disaster. Located
in every county in the state the
Extension agency has a strong presence
in the community and often the county
extension agent serves as the county's
emergency management leader and ESF17
coordinator. The County Cooperative
Extension agency is also a part of UF's
IFAS which itself is a wealth of
resources. Its faculty has experts in
agro terrorism, biosecurity, plant and
animal pests and diseases, radiation,
exotic and invasive pests, and food
safety.
It can provide facilities and staffing
and assist with communications, damage
assessments, and coordination of
emergency animal sheltering. Partners
like IFAS are vital to SART. Whether
governmental or non-governmental each
partnership brings with it special
talents and expertise that give the
coalition strength. One such
non-governmental partnership is the
Veterinary Emergency Treatment Service
or VETS team. Assembled with the help of
the Florida Veterinary Medical
Association, the VETS team has been a
leader in conducting and coordinating
multi-agency exercises and workshops
around the state.
During times of emergency the VETS team
can provide a veterinary field hospital
that supports up to 17 team members in
portable tents equipped with generators
and surgical lights. It can also deploy a
large animal technical rescue team as
well as provide companion and livestock
animal evacuation and transportation.
Funded largely by grants and donations
to the University
Florida's VETS team is one of the
largest non federal response teams in
the country.
The Florida Veterinary Medical
Association also helped assemble the
Florida VetCor, a statewide ready
reserve of private veterinarians and
technicians who provide assistance to
their communities and the state during a
disaster. There are maps I printed out
some google map directions on there for
folks that are out of town or aren't
familiar with the site. Bringing volunteers
together into one group ensures a more
effective response in a disaster. To get
the right people for any situation SART
helped develop the Florida State Animal
Response Coalition or Florida SARC. This
not-for-profit group maintains a
database with volunteer information such
as their schedule availability, preferred
jobs when responding, and completed
trainings and requirements. Volunteer
coordinators can instantly access that
information to alert volunteers for
disaster response.
The SART concept also allows for its
partners to bring multiple resources
together at both the state and federal
levels. During times of severe disaster
like the summer of 2004, Florida's
resources may fall short. In the wake of
such overwhelming damage the federal
government can help the state in its
response. No matter how complex the
incident SART can turn to partners like
the USDA's Farm Service Agency and the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service for the necessary assistance.
Behaviors can change in a flash of a second. And what those triggers are varies from animal to animal.
SART started with the goal of enhancing
animal and AG disaster response through
training and coordinating resources. To
fulfill that goal SART and its partners
developed state certified training
classes that provide the basics for the
certified responder training
requirements. It also developed an
information communication system that
includes a website, web-based courses,
self-study classes, and information on
classroom education modules. An online
monthly newsletter, the SART Sentinel,
also informs SART members about
upcoming training classes, exercises, and
events in animal and AG disaster
response. In addition to the classroom
and self-study training, SART coordinates
regional exercises throughout Florida
each year. Full scale exercises play a
critical role in preparing for an actual
disaster response whether SART acts as
lead or as response support.
[Music]
Trained volunteers are vital to such
success but having the right tools for
the job is just as important. To carry
out its objectives SART purchased the
MARE or Mobile Animal Response
Equipment. MARE features 16-foot
livestock trailers that carry enough
supplies from crates to bowls and food
to set up a temporary shelter for up to
150 companion animals. Other MARE
equipment includes sleeping trailers and
portable showers for the personnel,
livestock carriers and portable water
haulers. 7 MARE units are stationed
throughout the state and are available
to local authorities as they're needed.
Designed to be deployable to any
impacted region MARE has allowed SART
to become an all hazard fully
self-contained response team. Doctors
this is the last dog for this group.
From its bare bones beginning SART has
quickly moved to the national forefront
of agricultural emergency preparedness.
Its success is due to strong partnerships,
Its success is to strong partnerships,
Its success is due to strong partnerships, the ability to organize effectively, and
procedures that are constantly evolving.
SART is laying the groundwork for
national standards in training for
response to natural disasters, animal
disease, and terrorism. These uniform
standards will give volunteers the
skills they'll need to help in a
disaster whether it strikes in their
home state or across the country.
[Music]
On this spring afternoon though
preparing for a local disaster is on the
minds of these SART volunteers and
while this is only a practice drill
today they are working as if lives
depended on it because one day they will.
[Music]