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One. It is
a simple number really. But what does it mean to SART members this month?
Well, it’s
the current number of tropical cyclones we have experiences this season. If you
have somehow missed it, our first storm was Tropical Storm Alberto.
It also
happens to be the anniversary number for The Sentinel. Yes, it is hard to
believe, but June 2005 was the first monthly newsletter. We have been going
strong since then reporting on ever more SART activities.
The number
one also indicates the first item in a series. How about our first statewide
SART conference slated for 2007? Yes indeed, planning has been gearing up. For
an update, see 2007 Conference Update in this month’s edition.
One thing
that has not changed in a year ?If you have any tips, resources, or story
ideas you would like to share, send them our way! (Even if you just want to say ‘hi!?we will take that, too!)
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National Web Site for Pet Sheltering and Preparedness Developed by Local
Sheltering Volunteers
Volunteers
for the Pet Friendly Shelters of Charlotte and Sarasota Counties have developed
a Web site for use as a national resource for all information regarding
emergency planning and sheltering for pets and their people. This site will be
a “real time?informational site that will reflect immediate needs as well as
providing hundreds of links of information to citizens throughout the country.
These volunteers, many having survived a direct impact by Hurricane Charley and
the effects of the many hurricane s over the past two years, wanted to help
others get information that many had difficulty obtaining. Their experiences
have provided a base on which to build this valuable resource.
This site
was developed and designed with the idea that EVERYONE, including local, state,
and national agencies should have the ability to possess the most current and
accurate information available, affording everyone the ability to concentrate
on public safety and saving lives in time of emergency. Emergencies happen
throughout the country continuously, and as the opening of shelters accepting
pets becomes more prevalent the need for public information will increase.
Hurricanes account for only a partial percentage of disasters, and this site
will also follow fire, flood, blizzard, earthquake, tornado, and other natural
or man-made disasters. To our knowledge, there is not a “single?Web site that
will offer national information, updated daily, and even hourly in time of
emergency.
www.petfriendlyshelters.org is a “work in progress?and it the
hope of these dedicated and ambitious volunteers that their efforts and
information offered will help the lives of many people and pets.
www/petfriendlyshleters.org is one tool that will cross economical and
geographical lines and provide what our citizens need the most, information and
education. For more information or to submit content please email petfriendlyshelters@verizon.net.
--Donna
Kolakowski, Charlotte and Sarasota County
Emergency Operations
Centers
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VETS
Awarded Several Grants
The
VETS group at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine has
plenty of reasons to celebrate. According to John Haven, VETS Team Leader, the
group has secured commitments from the Humane Society of the United States
(HSUS), Florida Veterinary Medical Association (FVMA), and PetSmart Charities
to provide several sums of money. The HSUS has agreed to contribute $50,000 and
PetSmart Charities $10,000. There is a pending grant to the American Veterinary
Medical Association to match the $20,000 that FVMA has pledged.
The current
$80,000 funding will be used to purchase a tow vehicle, additional trailer, and
additional rescue and veterinary equipment to augment current supplies. Paying
for training courses such as large animal emergency rescue will also fit the
bill for the new funds.
VETS?
mission is to provide veterinary care during a disaster or emergency response.
The unit is comprised of several teams of trained individuals specializing in
companion, livestock, and equine veterinary issues. VETS can integrate staff
from the University to include animal care clinicians, epidemiologists, and
administrative staff, as well as local practitioners and volunteers.?VETS is capable of conducting an all-hazards
response with its personnel.
During a
deployment, VETS will be an integral part of the ESF17 Incident Management Team
(IMT). They will work within the Incident Command System (ICS) structure. VETS?
first goal would be to assess veterinary care critical infrastructure such as
veterinary hospitals and clinics within the impacted area(s). After assessment,
VETS would provide basic to moderate animal care as needed. The team will
coordinate with local practitioners, the FVMA, and emergency response agencies
in order to assist veterinary practitioners to reestablish service to the
community as part of recovery.
For more
information, contact John Haven at (352) 392-4700 or
havenj@mail.vetmed.ufl.edu.
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SART
Participates in State Continuity of Operations Exercise
The
continuity of operations plan (COOP) was exercised by the State Emergency
Operations Center (SEOC) May 22-26th, 2006. The simulation allows
SEOC personnel to test how well they can pick up and move the SEOC and continue
operations.
Two
situations were being managed as part of the simulation, a dirty bomb incident in
Tallahassee
and planning for a major hurricane
to hit the
Tampa
Bay
area. ESF17 worked on the hurricane,
Zoey, through assignments from the Emergency Coordinating Officer (ECO), Dr.
Greg Christy. Christy, like other ECOs, was tasked with creating and inputting
assignments into the Groove computer system for those operating the ESF desks
to respond to.
Drs. Mike
Short, Sam Lamb, and Pam Hunter were joined by Elizabeth Wang to work the ESF17
desk. Many calls were made to SART partners and other agencies to work through
the simulation. Assignments included evacuating zoo animals, requesting federal
assets, and using EMAC.
Thank you
to all those who contributed to a great learning experience!
Pictured above (L to R) Dr. Pam
Hunter, Dr. Mike Short, Dr. Sam Lamb, Elizabeth Wang, and Dr. Greg Christy.
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.
Members
Only: Advisory Board Member Directory Available Online
An online
directory of those serving as SART Advisory Board members is now available. The
directory cleared internal testing before being launched. Some Board members
are not yet listed; adjustments are being made to add missing members. It is
the hope that general members will be better able to identify who to contact
from a Partner Agency about SART issues related to that agency.
The
directory is accessible under Member Only Information within the Members Area.
You must be
a registered SART member to view the directory.
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Large
Animal Emergency Rescue Training Conducted at UF CVM
The
VETS team sponsored a Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue training on May
3-5, 2006. Conducted by Drs. Tomas and Rebecca Gimenez of South Carolina, over 20 people participated,
as seen in the “class picture.?Participants ranged from vet technicians to
veterinarians to people just plain interested in large animal rescue.
Live
animals were utilized in the demonstrations so that participants would receive
hands-on experience working with the equipment used for large animal rescue on
a breathing, moving animal. The Gimenez’s three horses, Tornado, Angel, and
Ariel, were lifted and slid places using tools like the
Anderson
sling, an A-frame, a crane, and a
plastic glide. A night rescue was also performed.
A good time
was had by all during the intense three day session; many wished it were a
longer course. The entire collection of pictures from the event were graciously
provide by Ms. Tori Miller; these will be available on the SART Web site
shortly.
A special
thank you extends to Dr. Dana Zimmel and John Haven for arranging the training.
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2007 Conference
Update
A short
list has been compiled of potential sites for the 2007 Florida SART Conference;
sites in Orlando and St. Petersburg beach will be visited during
the last week of June.
Potential
workshops and general sessions have been brainstormed consulting the
recommendations made by participants who completed surveys at 2005’s regional
training events. An overlying theme of teamwork and teambuilding will guide
associated conference activities.
If you have
any ideas for workshops, activities, or speakers, contact Liz Wang.
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FEMA.gov
Gets a Makeover
The Federal
Emergency Management Agency has launched a completely reengineered Web site, www.fema.gov. The new site has a restructured
navigation system designed to make it easier for citizens, emergency personnel,
businesses, and federal, state, and local government agencies to quickly find
the information they need on FEMA’s disaster training, preparation, mitigation,
response, and recovery efforts and services.
In
developing the new site, FEMA conducted a year-long usability study of their
Web site and implemented recommendations from victims of disasters and those
involved in disaster response and recovery efforts. The FEMA Web site will be
the first in the U. S. Department of Homeland Security to roll out the
department’s new Web branding.
To learn
more about the development of the new FEMA.gov design, visit www.fema.gov/media/newhomepage.shtm.
-- As
reported in Disaster Research, 450,
Natural
Hazards
Center
,
University
of
Colorado
,
Boulder
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National
Park Service Fire Timeline
The National
Park Service Fire and Aviation Division has prepared this presentation on fire
management history. It includes a timeline from 1600 to present on large fire
and fatalities, operational inventions and developments, policy and law,
wildland fire operations, fire quotes and perspectives, and research, education,
and public awareness. Visit www.nps.gov/fire/utility/uti_timeline.html to learn more.
-- As
reported in Disaster Research, 452,
Natural
Hazards
Center
,
University
of
Colorado
,
Boulder
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Trivia Contest!
Winner receives Florida SART goodie bag
Since
1953, Atlantic tropical storms have been named from lists originated by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Hurricane Center
(NHC). These lists are now maintained and updated by an international committee
of the World Meteorological Organization.
Name
retirement is saved for storms so deadly or costly that the future use of the
names would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity. Five names were
retired from the 2005 season and will not be used again.
Correctly
name three of the five and win a goodie bag of SART stuff!
Answers
must be submitted electronically to Liz Wang (wange@doacs.state.fl.us) and be as follows:
?span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
Subject
line should read SART Trivia Contest
Entry
?span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
List
the three guesses you have
?span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
Provide
full name, email, AND regular street address so that if you win, the goodie bag
can be sent to you
?span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
Send
by July 12, 2006
Additional Rules:
?span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
One
entry per person
?span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
Incomplete
entries will be discarded
?span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
Entries
must be received by July 12, 2006
?span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
Not
responsible for entries not received or filtered out as spam
?span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
In
the event only one entry is correct, they will be the winner
?span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
If
multiple entries are correct, they will be pooled and one winner selected
The
winner will be announced in July’s newsletter. Happy hunting!
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About
the SART Sentinel
Editor: Elizabeth
Wang, SART Coordinator, Florida
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Animal Industry
Associate Editor:
Gregory S. Christy, DVM, State ESF-17 Coordinator, Florida Department of
Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Animal Industry
The SART SENTINEL is an e-mail newsletter prepared
monthly by Elizabeth Wang 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.
If you have
a story or photo that you would like to have considered for publication in The SART SENTINEL, contact the Editors.
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Tip
of the Month!
 |
EMAC, What is it?
The
Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) is an important component of
disaster response and recovery and many do not know about it. EMAC is used for
any type of disaster.
Take a
moment to learn about EMAC at their Web site by clicking here.
|
| 
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