Vol. 4, No. 7, July 2008

Printer-Friendly PDF Version

 Contents



National Emergency Responder Credentialing System

A working group of NASAAEP volunteers is developing minimum requirements for Animal Emergency Responders (AER) to participate in the NIMS Integration Center's National Emergency Responder Credentialing System. Credentialed responders are intended for interstate deployment under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC).

Credentialing gives Incident Commanders the flexibility to assimilate multiple responders into resource teams on the site of a disaster.

Six criteria are involved in credentialing: education, training, experience, physical and medical fitness, certification, and licensing. To be credentialed a responder must meet all criteria. Credentialing is a pre-incident activity.
To minimize confusion following a disaster, NASAAEP proposes that all volunteers be pre-credentialed for certain species-groups of animals.

Prerequisites

In addition to the standard credentialing criteria AER have prerequisites that identify the qualifications an AER needs to work with certain species-groups of animals. The species groups are:
Companion animals (dogs, cats, and other
  domestic household pets)
Equines (horses, donkeys, and asses);
Livestock (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs)
Avian (commercial poultry, captive, exotic and
  non-domestic, pet- and wild birds);
Non-domestic (exotic species in zoos, captured game premises, and
  households).

Position Titles

The following position titles provide a template for AER personnel to respond to all hazards, including Animal Health Emergencies and Natural and Technological Disasters according to the NIMS Integration Center's National Emergency Responder Credentialing System: Animal Case Manager, Animal Control Specialist, Animal Disease Epidemiologist, Animal Handling Specialist, Animal
 
Industry Specialist, Animal Premises Site Manager, Animal Shelter Manager, Animal Technician, Livestock Agriculture Economist, Permit Specialist, Risk Assessment Specialist, Species Specialist, Vector Control Specialist, Veterinarian, and Wildlife Control Specialist.

If you wish to review the to-date credentialing effort please contact Mark Shearer in Iowa at mark.shearer@iowaagriculture.gov or Sara Parrish in Pennsylvania at sparrish@alutiiq.com. If those individuals are not immediately available, SART Sentinel Editor Rick Sapp at rsa5@cox.net can provide a copy via email.

[top]


Gerald Hayes and The 2008 CCD Bee Review

If you are not familiar with the term CCD, perhaps it is time to brush up on current events. CCD stands for Colony Collapse Disorder and it is the catch-all term used when discussing the world-wide disappearance of bees.

Gerald Hayes, Chief Apiary Inspector for FDACS?Division of Plant Industry and a member of the select national CCD working group notes that bees not only give us honey and beeswax, but perhaps more important, the honey bee, Apis mellifera, and other bee species pollinate, and are thus responsible for,
 
Kneeling beside a trap, DOACS bee researcher and Chief Apiary Inspector Gerald Hayes holds a lure placed inside. The lure entices African bees for the purposes of monitoring and surveying.
a vast array of the groceries we routinely take for granted. The inventory includes pears and cucumbers, okra and onions, almonds and watermelons and oranges, apples
 
Osmia ribifloris on a barberry flower. There may be 16,000 species of bees on Earth.
and avocados. Currently, the list is extraordinarily
long, but unless the puzzle of CCD is solved soon, we will almost certainly discover that each year it becomes shorter as anything but cereal foods become prohibitively expensive. (Roman patricians ate an enormous variety of foods: fruits, nuts, meat and exotic concoctions such as ostrich heads and rats smothered in honey. Roman plebs and slaves however subsisted on a diet of gruel and an occasional vegetable.) Already, Hayes notes, the bChinese have been reduced to pollinating pears by hand, dusting pollen across a blossom's carpal (the pistol or female parts of a flower) using chicken feathers. Imagine how much that costs!

Unless a solution to CCD is found soon ?and the situation may require a rapid and massive influx of research funds
and even then no sure solution is guaranteed ?the consequences for agriculture in the U.S. and around the world may be profound. "CCD appears to be a complex of many things that have concerned us for some time, from diet to pesticides, viruses to mites,?Hayes notes as if preparing us for an unpleasant wait for a solution. A solution must be discovered, though, he warns, because "There is nothing more dangerous than a hungry man.?/font>



[top]



Hooray for the bee!


"When nectar is abundant, the inhabitants of a [bee] colony will collectively fly 55,000 miles and gather from more than two million flowers to make a pound of honey, with each bee contributing in total just a twelfth of a teaspoon to the communal coffer in her lifetime.?/font>
Holley Bishop
Robbing the Bees
A Biography of Honey, The Sweet Liquid Gold That Seduced the World
Free Press, 2005, page25



[top]



Only One SART-Sponsored I-300 Course Remains in Florida 2008 Curriculum

After the July 24-26 I-300 (Intermediate ICS Command) course in Kissimmee only one SART-sponsored I-300 training opportunity remains this year in Florida. Thus signing up with FDACS-DAI's Gary Painter sooner rather than later is a good idea: (863) 519-8470, cell (863) 698-6377 painterg@doacs.state.fl.us. Not only might this class be full if you wait to the last moment, but I-300 training requires 25-day advance registration to ensure material availability.

NOAA satellite image of hurricane Bertha July 8th. When storms begin to batter Florida, will you be prepared to take the very best response and recovery action?
The single remaining course open to general members of the SART community is September 18-20 at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville. The course is limited to 18 students per class and there is no charge to attend. (Registration is already closed for the August and October I-300 courses.)

Prerequisites for I-300: Certificates of Completion of I-100 (Introduction to ICS), I-200 (ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents), and I-700 (Introduction to NIMS) ?all available for self-study on line at http://training.fema.gov/IS/crslist.asp -must be presented the first day of class.
The registration form is posted on line at www.flsart.org/pdf/download/I-300_Registration_Form-rev-6-16-08-glp_2_.pdf. Your completed registration should also go to Painter and can be emailed, faxed to (863) 519-8469 or sent regular mail to his office: 605 E. Main Street - Suite 207, Bartow, FL 33830.


[top]



Update ?The American Red Cross & HSUS

    Recognizing the importance of pets for millions of
Americans and following the passage of the PETS Act,
the U.S. Pets Evacuation & Transportation Standards Act
following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, the
American Red Cross and the Humane Society of the
United States have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding to accomplish sheltering people and
animals in a disaster. For additional information visit
www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/animal
safety.html
.

"Red Cross disaster shelters cannot accept pets because
of states' health and safety regulations and other
considerations. Service animals who assist people with
disabilities are the only animals allowed in Red Cross
shelters.?br>
"The American Red Cross recognizes The Humane
Society of the United States as the nation's largest
animal protection organization responsible for the safety
and well-being of animals, including disaster relief.?/font>
[top]



Iowa Flooding Receives Strong USDA Response

Recent Midwest flooding required a coordinated USDA response. Please consider how the USDA agencies would benefit Florida residents in a disaster. Here is an outline of assistance provided


Rescue/Clean-Up
APHIS: providing veterinary staff to support pet shelters and assisting with recovery and disposal of livestock carcasses
NRCS: assisting with debris removal and offering satellite imagery for search and rescue, and damage assessment (through the National
Pigs struggle against floodwaters in the recent mid-west flooding.
Cartography and Geospatial Center, Fort Worth)

Food Assistance FNS (Food and Nutrition Service): authorized states to waive certain program requirements for the Summer Food Service Program; approved operation of the Disaster Food Stamp Program in Indiana (37 counties), Iowa (36 counties), and Wisconsin (19 counties) assisting with more than $1.6 million in benefits to 4,000 new and 1,500 on-going households; and allowed retail food stores to accept food stamp/EBT (electronic benefit transfer) benefits for hot foods

Housing
Encouraged affected rural single family housing residents to apply for assistance for home repair, rehabilitation, and purchase ?with streamlined loan processing ?and offered loan consultations
Community Assistance
Approved priority consideration for rural community funding through Rural Development Rural Community Facilities programs (for schools, libraries, childcare centers, hospitals, medical clinics, assisted living facilities, fire and rescue stations, police stations, community centers, public buildings, and transportation); and worked with local communities to determine Emergency Watershed Protection requests in the disaster areas
Farmer/Rancher Assistance FSA: processed emergency loans to family-sized farms, Emergency Conservation (ECP) loans to repair land damage and cost-share assistance; permitted livestock grazing on Conservation Reserve (CRP) land and permitted use of CRP land for spreading manure.


Business Assistance
Rural businesses given priority consideration through the Rural Development Rural Business Enterprise grant program
[top]



Drought? What drought? IFAS Disaster Handbook

Now that summer rains have come and mold is growing on the house, recollection of the dry soil of May is practically forgotten. Nevertheless, and despite cycles of drought and abundant moisture occurring naturally in Florida, our civilization's growing demand for fresh water makes drought a permanent condition.

IFAS?Carol Lehtola (clehtola@ufl.edu) saw the photo of Lake Brooklyn in the June SART Sentinel and reminded us that a Drought Teaching Module is available on the IFAS disaster handbook site at http://disaster.ifas.ufl.edu/wwe.htm. Titled A Drought-Water Conservation Program for Homeowners, Master Gardeners, and Extension Agents it includes everything needed for teaching about water conservation ?lesson plans, workbooks, PowerPoint presentations, and a professionally produced video "Water's Journey ?Hidden Rivers of Florida.?(For folks who like to get their hands dirty, there are sections on drought-tolerant plants and how to how to water the lawn!)

The cornerstone of IFAS Disaster Information Program is the Disaster Handbook, a two-volume set of more than 350 publications. Volume One contains information to help individuals
and communities (the general public, homeowners, businesses, agricultural producers... in short, for all sorts of groups) prepare for, survive, and recover from disasters. Volume Two covers specific disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, lightning, fires, and hazardous materials.

Disaster Handbook materials are designed to allow local leaders to quickly develop appropriate packets for local needs. All Disaster Handbook publications are available for download from the IFAS Disaster Information Web Site.

[top]





Take The SART Self-Test
(Answers located at end of newsletter)

1.
2.

3.
4.


5.


6.


7.

8.

9.


10.
What is the NPDN...and, for bonus points, what does it do?
(True/False) The best way to prepare a caterpillar sample for diagnosis is to immerse it in water and then microwave it on a light setting for 60 seconds.
What is the difference between climate and weather?
Because of its sub-tropical climate, unusual geography as a peninsula pointing 300 miles from the mainland of North America to the heart of the tropics and accessibility for exotic imports, Florida is considered a "__________ State.?br> An invasive plant pest such as the Africanized honeybee or pink hibiscus mealybug will be met with one of two control strategies. Can you name these two threat responses?
When considering security as part of an overall Biosecurity Plan for farm or business, it is best to have (Circle One): A. Multiple entrances/exits B. Single entrance/exit or C. No entrance/exit.
Name the agency: On-line, emergency-related training courses are available free through ________.
Name the ESF # associated with the following functions: A. Animal Services B. Volunteers and Donations C. Search and Rescue.
______________ is the action of killing the animal for reasons considered to be merciful, and may be the most humane alternative when dealing with seriously ill or injured cattle.
What organization keeps information including an Emergency Evacuation Relocation List for horses?


[top]



June APHIS Newsletter

Hallie Zimmers, APHIS Interim State Liaison
(hallie.zimmers@aphis.usda.gov has sent the June APHIS
newsletter which can be accessed on line at
www.aphis.usda.gov/APHIS_News_4States/June08/News4S
tates_June08.pdf
.

The 11-page "APHIS Concept of Operations?document in
support of ESF-11 (Agriculture & Natural Resources) says, in part, that there is a Distinction between ESF #11 activations and APHIS emergency program activations. "APHIS initiates emergency response upon finding a plant or animal disease or pest surveillance finding or a foreign animal disease event under its statutory authorities. By contrast, the notice of activation for ESF #11 comes to APHIS externally from FEMA.? www.aphis.usda.gov/APHIS_News_4States/June08/ESF11CONOPS6-11-08.pdf

[top]



FYI ?Louisiana Requires That Plans Be On File

In Louisiana, Act 615 (Senate Bill 607), created in the 2006 Regular Session of the legislature and signed by the Governor requires that all public and private concerns that house animals (household pets and research or service animals) ?1 ?have an evacuation plan and ?2 ?file the plan annually with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry and with the parish office of homeland security and emergency preparedness.


The Louisiana law applies to animal shelters, humane societies, veterinary offices, boarding kennels, breeders, grooming facilities, hospitals, nursing hospitals and other assisted living facilities, schools, animal testing
facilities, and any other businesses or not-for-profit agency.

You can check out the state's readiness effort through the Louisiana State Animal Response Team web site at http://lsart.evetsites.net/. A link to their 80-page Companion Animal Evacuation and Sheltering Manual, which begins appropriately with "The sheltering and protection of animals is the responsibility of their owner.?can be found on that page.

[top]



So...What About The Slow Disasters?

Krista McCoy's 2007 doctoral dissertation for the University of Florida's School of Natural Resources and Environment in the Department of Zoology, as accepted for publication in Environmental Health Perspectives On Line, is titled "Agriculture Alters Gonadal Form and Function in the toad Bufo marinus.?br>
 
Bufo marinus is a tropical species that prefers forested areas with semi-permanent water nearby. Like other nocturnal species, giant toads have horizontal pupils. It can reach a maximum length of 9.3 inches.

Supported by Louis Guillette, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Zoology, McCoy's recent article has received a great deal of press attention for its immediate implications about endocrine-disrupting agricultural pesticides and because it points to the need for additional research on this and other "creeping disasters,?those which are apparent but do not immediately punch us in the nose.

McCoy's team has found that the closer to agricultural areas Bufo marinus lived, the greater the incidence of sexual abnormalities and these abnormalities were especially pronounced in the male toads. "Amphibians are declining worldwide,?McCoy says, "and agricultural chemicals are considered to be one likely cause?
Because we know what chemicals are used at these agricultural sites, we can begin to pin down the chemical cause of these abnormalities by conducting controlled experiments with each chemical alone and in combination.?br>
Most alarming McCoy noted: "What we are finding in Bufo marinus might also occur in other animals, including other amphibian species and humans. In fact, reproductive abnormalities are increasing in humans and these increases could partially be due to exposure to pesticides.?br>
For a complete text go to www.ehponline.org/members/2008/11536/11536.pdf. A highly readable report written by Aaron Hoover is also available on line at http://news.ufl.edu/2008/07/03/abnormal-frogs/.

NOTE: The researchers gathered giant toads, from five sites stretching from Lake Worth to Belle Glade and down to Homestead in South Florida. Bufo marinus, the giant toad, is a very large, exotic, invasive species known to be deadly to small animals. Researchers studied this toad in part because they are easy to catch and their large size ensures sufficient blood for analysis. They are also common in other agricultural areas around the world, which means they are a very good generalist species.

[top]



Ag-ERT Training Reminder

  Train in Agricultural Emergency Response (Ag-ERT) at the nation's premier all-hazards training center, FEMA's Center for Domestic Preparedness (http://cdp.dhs.gov), Anniston, AL. It is the only federally chartered Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) training center.

Current training dates are 27 July-1 August, 24-29 August, and 14-19 September.

For information, contact APHIS Liaison to CDP R. Gordon Harman at (256) 847-2350 office or (301) 332-8390 BlackBerry; harmanr@cdpemail.dhs.gov or Robert.G.Harman@aphis.usda.gov.


[top]



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.

[top]



SART Sentinel Photo Credits: American Red Cross/TAUME.com, AnimalHealthFoundation.com, Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, DiscoverMagazine.com, Florida-Cracker.org, Jack Dykinga-USDA, NOAA, Matt Ryerson/The Hawk Eye, Rick Sapp, Rick Speare-USDA/FS, US Coast Guard

[top]




Answers to SART Self-Quiz

1.



2.

3.


4.

5.


6.



7.

8.


9.

10.
The mission of the NPDN, the National Plant Diagnostic Network, is to enhance national agricultural security by quickly detecting introduced pests and pathogens. (SART Training Module "Quality & Secure Plant and Insect Sample Submissions?
False. Never put creatures, live or dead, in a microwave oven. (SART Training Module "Quality & Secure Plant and Insect Sample Submissions?
Climate is long-term whereas weather is a picture of climate on a particular day or season. Thus the difference is perspective: duration and length of time. (SART Training Module "Using Climate Forecasts in Agriculture?
Florida is considered a "Sentinel State.?(SART Training Module "An Entomological Perspective for Emergency Agricultural Response?
The two response strategies are eradication ?when possible ?and management ?when eradication is not possible. (SART Training Module "An Entomological Perspective for Emergency Agricultural Response?
It is best to have only one entry/exit road from the farm. That entrance should be clearly marked with signs and for added security should have a lockable gate with controlled gate access. (SART Training Module "Biosecurity for Florida Producers?
FEMA (http://training.fema.gov/IS/crslist.asp) (SART Training Module "Introducing SART?
A. Animal Services is ESF 17. B. Volunteers and Donations is ESF 15. C. Search and Rescue is ESF 9. (SART Training Module "Creating an Effective County SART: 12 Steps to Success?
Euthanasia (SART Training Module "Livestock and Horses: Emergency Management for Large Animals?
The Sunshine State Horse Council has good information on their Web site and can be found at www.sshc.org. Their Web site contains evacuation and disaster information and also includes: Emergency Evacuation Relocation List (Searchable), available space for temporary evacuation of horses, donors of space for horses that might need to be evacuated and relocated on a temporary basis in the event of an emergency condition such as a fire or impending hurricane. (SART Training Module "Livestock and Horses: Emergency Management for Large Animals?


[top]