Animal Emergency Management and Animal Emergency Response Missions Unit 2

Learning Objectives 1.List core state and local roles in pet planning and response 2.Describe APHIS Animal Care’s role in animal emergency management 3.Locate and utilize the APHIS Mobilization Guide 4.Identify the Animal Care Emergency Programs Development Plan 5.List and describe the animal emergency response mission areas

State and Local Roles Incidents begin and end locally Manage at lowest possible jurisdictional level Local government responsibilities: Assess hazards Identify resources Planning

PETS Act and PKEMRA State and local emergency preparedness plans to address needs of individuals with household pets and service animals FEMA Administrator authorized to fund States Federal Laws

State Statutes States with Pets in their Emergency Plans (Feb 2010)

USDA -APHIS’ Role in Emergency Management Program Agency Department USDAAPHISACWSPPQVSFNSFSIS

APHIS’ Mission and Role MISSION: Protect health and value of U.S. agriculture and natural resources ROLE: Emergency Response Agency Each employee potential emergency responder

APHIS Emergency Mobilization Guide

Purpose Effective, efficient and consistent responses to agricultural or homeland security situations Deployment information; what to expect when deployed Describe employee selection process Available on APHIS website

Key Sections Section 10: Mission, Purpose and Design Sections : Employee selection Sections : Deployment and demobilization basics

USDA’s Role in Emergency Management Program Agency Department USDAAPHISACWSPPQVSFNSFSIS

USDA’s ESF 11 Roles Monitor and respond to animal/plant pest and disease situations (APHIS VS and PPQ) Provide for safety and well-being of household pets (APHIS AC) Offer nutrition assistance-Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Ensure the safety and security of commercially produced meat, poultry, and egg products (FSIS)

APHIS ESF 11 Resources

Animal Care’s Role in Emergency Management Program Agency Department USDAAPHISACWSPPQVSFNSFSIS

APHIS Animal Care Safety and Well-Being of Household Pets Provide technical support and subject matter expertise Not first responders for medical care or sheltering of pets

Animal Care’s ESF 11 Support Examples: Hurricanes: Gustav, Ike 2008 Fires: Station Fire, Los Angeles County 2009 Tsunami: American Samoa 2009 Earthquake: Haiti 2010

AC Emergency Programs Vision USDA APHIS Animal Care envisions a nation working together to protect the public through ensuring the safety and well-being of animals during disasters. Emergency Programs maintains consistency with Animal Care’s traditional regulatory goals, in that we advocate for animal safety and well-being, which improves safety and well-being for people.

ACEP’s Goals Employees with competencies, knowledge and personal characteristics to be available for immediate mobilization to support animal issues during emergencies Sufficient personnel with the right skills to meet critical staffing needs in one or multiple emergencies on a national basis

Missions of AC Emergency Programs Program Agency Department USDAAPHISACWSPPQVSFNSFSIS

Missions 1.Provide national leadership 2.Promote effective animal emergency planning 3.Deliver training 4.Mobilize highly trained personnel 5.Provide contingency planning guidance and emergency technical assistance to AWA regulated facilities 6.Advocate for the use of best technologies and appropriate practices for humane handling and depopulation during animal disease emergencies

1. National Leadership Provide national leadership on the safety and well- being of pets and certain other animals during disasters NASAAEP Summits, monthly conference calls NASAAEP Best Practice Working Groups Zoo Animal Health Network: Best Practice Working Group Zoological Facility Emergency Management Leadership on exotic species, exhibitors, laboratory animals

2. Planning Effective animal emergency planning at local, State, Tribal, Territorial and national levels Workshops to develop written plan for CARES Meetings with State partners to help write or refine animal emergency plans Pets Coordination Function CONOPS development Transportation exercises (LA 2008, 2010) Sheltering exercises (NC 2010) Engaging AC field staff in state exercises

3. Training Support animal safety and well-being during disasters ICS Training Intro to Animal Emergency Management Course AC Employee Development Plan NASAAEP Summits Other conferences and trainings

4. Mobilize Trained Personnel Mobilize personnel to provide technical assistance, resource management, and response Hurricanes Katrina and Rita 2005 Hurricanes Gustav and Ike 2008 Iowa Floods 2008 North Dakota Floods 2009 Station Fire, CA 2009 Tsunami, American Samoa 2009

5. Contingency Planning Contingency planning guidance and emergency technical assistance to AWA regulated facilities Expertise in working with regulated facilities Proposed contingency plan rule

6. Advocate Best Practices Use of best technologies and appropriate practices in animal handling (surveillance, humane animal euthanasia, and mass animal depopulation) during disaster events Under development in partnership with Veterinary Services

Animal Care Emergency Programs Employee Development Plan

Plan Goals Highly trained cadre of AC personnel Cutting-edge animal emergency management training Refine roles and responsibilities

Credentialed Positions Plan outlines 6 positions – 5 training levels – Core training – Additional training and development activities – Course descriptions – Training requirements Consistent with APHIS Emergency Responder Qualifications System

1. Animal Welfare Officer Training Level 1 All AC field employees Evaluate animal well-being – Sheltering – Transportation – Care and feeding – Veterinary medical care – Rescue operations Prepare reports, advise officials

2. Animal Welfare Officer – All Hazards Training Level 2 Animal Welfare Officer duties plus: Assess infrastructure and needs Coordination, technical assistance and field assessment to evaluate animal well-being

3. Animal Welfare Team Leader – All Hazards Training Level 3 Team Leader during a disaster deployment Provide on-site leadership and supervision

4. Pets Mission Specialist Training Level 4 Works in multi-agency coordination center (FEMA JFO, EOC) Works with stakeholders to provide coordination, technical assistance, and subject matter expertise on pet issues

Training Level 5 Provide leadership, supervision and conflict resolution Monitor AC personnel at incident Maintain coordination and support of household pet issues 5. Pets Mission Leader

6. Animal Care Program Response Team Member Assist in managing a program emergency (APHIS or provide assistance to State) Team provides incident management for program emergencies or ESF #11 missions Animal Care Inspectors, Veterinary Medical Officers, others Pre-requisite: Animal Welfare Officer – All Hazards Team Leader

Future Position Animal Welfare Officer – Animal Disease Response

Animal Emergency Response Missions

Response Missions Six major mission areas Mostly handled locally Be familiar with missions to support them

1. Rapid Needs Assessment Initial survey to identify resources needed to support and sustain affected animals Identify need for continued monitoring and assessment

1. Rapid Needs Assessment Assessments: Health and safety Evacuation and transportation Sheltering ASAR Livestock operations Carcasses Veterinary care Decontamination Animal facilities (veterinary facilities, shelters, kennels, biomedical facilities, zoos, farms, stables, etc.)

2. Evacuation & Transportation Owners evacuating with pets Pets of owners relying on public transportation Support animal facility evacuation Transport evacuated animals

3. Emergency Animal Sheltering Emergency pet and animal sheltering Support of shelter-in-place operations Pet-owner reunions

Terminology Emergency Household Pet Shelter: pets from various sources sheltered in one facility Example: Local animal shelter accepting pets from the public during a disaster.

Terminology Collocated Emergency Household Pet Shelter: shelter located in reasonable proximity to a congregate shelter for people. Animal owners provide a substantial amount of care to pets. Example: People housed in a high school gymnasium; pets housed in the nearby bus barn

Terminology Stand-Alone Emergency Household Pet Shelter: pet shelter located away from a congregate shelter for people and distant enough that owners are not able to participate in pet care. Example: People housed in the high school; pets housed at the fairgrounds several miles away; no pre-arranged shuttle service between facilities

Terminology Cohabitational Pet/Animal Shelter: congregate shelter with people and animals sharing the same spaces Example: Fairgrounds where people and their pets are camped out. People’s horses and other livestock housed in the barns at the fairgrounds

Terminology Pet friendly – term should only be used to describe hotels with policies allowing pets

4. Animal Search and Rescue Primary animal search and rescue operations Technical animal rescue Animal control Management of strays Documentation and disposal of dead animals

Terminology USAR: Urban Search & Rescue ASAR: Animal Search & Rescue TAR: Technical Animal Rescue

5. Veterinary Medical Response Veterinary triage Veterinary clinical care Veterinary euthanasia Veterinary health and public health issues

6. Animal Decontamination Decontaminate animals exposed to hazardous substances Substances include: – Biological – Chemical – Radiological

Additional Mission Response Areas Animal Facilities Support Utilize expertise in working with facilities housing large animal populations – Pet facilities – Agricultural – Zoos, wildlife – Biomedical research

Additional Mission Response Areas Animal Health Emergency Response Foreign animal disease outbreaks or control of endemic diseases Assist VS with welfare issues

Additional Mission Response Areas Wildlife Response – Handling or managing wildlife affected by disaster – Usually local or state response

Animal Care’s Roles Responsibilities Statutory Checking status of AWA regulated facilities in disaster area and potentially supporting local response in connection with the facilities. Capabilities Role under the NRF/ ESF 11 Engaging in support missions related to household pets, regulated facilities or other missions related to AC’s capabilities.

Conclusion You should have information about: Core state and local roles in planning and response for animals APHIS AC’s role in animal emergency management APHIS Mobilization Guide AC EP Employee Development Plan Understand animal emergency response missions

Questions?

Acknowledgements This course was developed by the Center for Food Security and Public Health at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine under a cooperative agreement with USDA APHIS Animal Care Emergency Programs.