Corner Store ConversationsEmergency preparedness is nothing new in Florida. With the potential for natural and man-made disasters, national level preparedness impacts our daily lives. September is National Preparedness Month. National Preparedness Month is sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security and the American Red Cross. It is an initiative to promote public emergency preparedness. Governor Bush has also proclaimed this time as Florida Preparedness Month. Floridians should be well versed in hurricane preparedness, but they might not know that the same steps for hurricane preparedness can also be used to prepare for other natural disasters such as flooding, fires, drought and disease and man-made emergencies like nuclear and radiological events. Simply put, keeping a disaster-supply kit, having a plan, and practicing the plan with your family or business can ease the potential damage from disasters. It might surprise many people to know that agriculture has a $62 billion a year impact on the Florida economy - that alone should draw special attention to agriculture during this important month. Florida's State Agricultural Response Team (SART) and the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) work together to provide Florida with essential information on a variety of issues. Both natural and man-made disasters can generate animal and agricultural emergencies. I urge you to use Florida Preparedness Month to get prepared before the next disaster strikes. --Craig Fugate, Director, Division of Emergency Management September is National Preparedness Month: Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Informed and Get InvolvedSeptember 2005 marks the second annual National Preparedness Month (NPM), the nationwide effort to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses, and schools. Throughout the month, the U. S. Department of Homeland Security and the American Red Cross (cosponsors) will work with an NPM Coalition consisting of a wide variety of public and private sector organizations to educate the public about the importance of emergency preparedness. These organizations will provide information, host events, and sponsor activities that disseminate emergency preparedness messages to and encourage action in their customers, members, employees, stakeholders, and communities across the country. Specifically, the activities will urge Americans to get emergency kits, make emergency plans, educate themselves about the threats to their communities, and get involved with their communities' preparedness efforts. As SART members, promoting preparedness among animal owners and agricultural producers is key. For more information on National Preparedness Month, visit <http://www.ready.gov/npm/>. --Some information adapted from Disaster Research, 434, Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado, Boulder Make a Plan and Get a KitPreparedness is a function of planning. Planning ahead makes a difficult situation less stressful and more manageable. If you plan ahead, you will be prepared when a situation arises! Many resources are available to help you put together a disaster plan and kit for yourself, your family, business and/or animals. The following Web sites are just a sample of what is available to help you make plans and put together your disaster kits.
Be Informed: Learn Hurricane BasicsDo you know the difference between a hurricane watch and a warning? What about the wind speeds that classify a storm as a depression, tropical storm and hurricane? The National Hurricane Center (NHC), a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has pages on its Web site that provide such information in addition to other helpful information. Hurricane basics are covered on the following page <http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/basics.shtml>. Official advisories, discussions and maps issued on tropical systems are at their main page <http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/>. Now that you have brushed up on the basics, test your knowledge by creating a hurricane! At <http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/pdf/canelab.htm> is a computer game in which you create the right atmospheric conditions, drop in a disturbance and create a hurricane! This is a fun way for adults and kids to test their hurricane knowledge. Be Familiar with New Programs and Services Ahead of TimeThe rapid succession of direct hits by hurricanes in 2004 necessitated new, more efficient ways of processing requests, responding to the incident and communicating with the public about the incident and response efforts. In a recent report from the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a few services and programs have went online since last year. Registration for requests of FEMA assistance <www.fema.gov>, tracking assistance requests is available on the Florida Public Assistance Web site <www.floridapa.org>, and Disaster Housing Resources <www.dhronline.org> are just a few new programs and services listed and briefly described in the full report. The report can be accessed at <http://www.floridadisaster.org/eoc/eoc_Activations/Dennis05/Reports/~3450670.pdf>. OSHA Disaster Site Worker Outreach Training ProgramThe Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Disaster Site Worker Outreach Training Program is designed to train workers who provide skilled support in emergency response and recovery operations at disaster sites and raise awareness for workers and employers that preincident training is essential for ensuring disaster site worker safety and health. Specifically, it recognizes that all workers at disaster sites need to be aware of the difference between disaster sites and regular construction or demolition work sites and be able to inspect, don, and doff air-purifying respirators. Find out more about the program and how to become a trainer at: <http://www.osha.gov/fso/ote/training/disaster/disaster.html>. -- As reported in Disaster Research, 431, Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado, Boulder In Case of Emergency…In the event that something happens to you while you are by yourself, have you ever thought about how emergency responders would contact your family? How many of us carry around cell phones and personal planners? The In Case of Emergency (ICE) campaign was started in Great Britain to aid emergency responders in contacting next of kin or guardians should the need arise. The basic task is to type "ICE - <name>" in your phone contact list of the person and telephone number they are at, so that "in case of emergency" this would be the person that would be contacted. Further details of the campaign are at <http://www.icecontact.com>. Get Involved: SART Pilot Counties IdentifiedIn June, soon after the final 2005 SART Training Event concluded, persons who had shown interest in getting county SARTs started in their counties were contacted about participating as a pilot county. Through the pilot counties, the step-by-step manual produced for creating a county SART will be tested. These contacts yielded the following list of counties agreeing to be in the pilot program:
If you are a SART member in any of these counties, and want to get your name on the list to help the primary contact organize the county SART, contact Liz Wang at dandewang@yahoo.com. [top] SART Member Sign-Up ContinuesThe State Agricultural Response Team is currently 242 members strong. And we know there are more of you out there needing to join! Sign up online at the Web site <http://www.flsart.org/SART/member?pageID=3>. Why become a member? Becoming a member holds several benefits in addition to helping animals and agriculture during disasters <http://www.flsart.org/whymember.htm>. Correction from August IssueIn the article, "Florida SART Responds to Hurricane Dennis," EARS was identified as the Emergency Animal Rescue Society. The correct name of the organization is United Animal Nations Emergency Animal Rescue Service (UAN/EARS). We regret the error. [top] Editor: Gregory S. Christy, DVM, State ESF-17 Coordinator, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Animal Industry Associate editor: Elizabeth A. Wang, UF/IFAS, University of Florida The SART SENTINEL is an e-mail newsletter prepared monthly by Dr. Gregory S. Christy and the staff of the Florida State Agricultural Response Team. Past issues of the Sentinel are archived on the Florida SART Web Site: <www.flsart.org>. For additional information on agriculture, animals, and disaster, visit: Florida SART Home Page: <www.flsart.org> For a complete list of all SART participating agencies, visit the Florida SART Web site: <www.flsart.org>.
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