1. Santa Cruz County Equine Evac www.equineevac.org

2. Equine Evac Overview >200 volunteers
Experienced horse handlers with access to trailers
All certified Disaster Workers in Santa Cruz County
Activated in case of fire, flood, earthquake when horses are involved
When possible, other domestic animals are evacuated: donkeys, llamas, etc.

3. Equine Evac Overview - 2
Tasked with moving animals from designated evacuation areas to County authorized shelter areas
Directed by Animal Services and Incident Commanders

4. Organizational Roles Geographically organized teams
9 areas, 9 team leaders
Responsible for the actual evacuation of the animals
The team from the evacuation area will NOT be mobilized for an emergency
Ham radio operators
At staging area and the shelter area
Many team members (ride-alongs) are Hams

5. Organizational Roles - 2
Staging area managers (SAMs)
“Staging Area” is a place close to the affected area
Trailer report/dispatch point
SAMs are responsible for
Tracking resources available: equipment type, experience
Determining and assigning appropriate evacuation tasks
Providing information to Equine Evac members at the Staging Area and to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC)

6. Organizational Roles - 2
Logistics specialists
Responsible for determining, with Animal Services, the ultimate shelter location
“Tracking” horses once they are at the shelter
Procuring food, water, and any necessary equipment and getting to the shelter area
Setting up and monitoring cleaning, feeding, etc at the shelter
Logistics specialists
Responsible for determining, with Animal Services, the ultimate shelter location
“Tracking” horses once they are at the shelter
Procuring food, water, and any necessary equipment and getting to the shelter area
Setting up and monitoring cleaning, feeding, etc at the shelter

7. Organizational Roles - 3
Coordinators
Responsible for initially responding to an alert/activation:
Notifying team leaders and staging managers of the activation
Working with Animal Services to determine the number of trailers needed, the staging area location, and the ultimate destination for the evaced animals
Contacting team leaders and staging area managers to provide the resources required
After activations, responsible for interfacing with Emergency Services, the evac team and the general public

8. The Process Activation by EOC
Animal Services, Coordinators, SAMs, Logistics:
Number of trailers required
Locations of staging area and shelter
Team Leads Informed
Trailer teams selected
SAMs & Trailers to selected Staging Area
Volunteer check-in
Assignments: comms, evac, etc
Resource inventory
Advise & assign evac teams
Interface with EOC & Animal Services
Trailers dispatched, progress tracked
Coordinator to the EOC
POC for requests for evac & donations
Interface with SAMs, shelter manager,
team leaders, EOC personel
Logistics to Shelter Area
Facility layout: trailer access, stabling, food storage
Volunteer assignments: receiving, feed/water/clean, stabling set-up
Supply acquisition: hay, senior feed, shavings, wheel barrows, rakes, etc.

9. Be Prepared. Please.
In Summit, Martin and Trabing fires (2008), we evacuated over 500 horses and livestock.
In the Lockheed fire (2009), only about 20 horses had to be evacuated
Our community was prepared!

10. What You Can do to Prepare
Keep your property fire safe!
Adequate vegetation clearance around structures
Fire extinguishers, water sources, ladders, available
NO SMOKING in barn areas or on trails

11. What You Can do to Prepare - 2
TEACH YOUR HORSE TO LOAD
Horses who won’t load can’t be evacuated
Accustom them to loading in different trailers, if possible

12. What You Can do to Prepare - 3
Provide permanent identification for your horse: microchip or tattoo
Provide a way of identifying your horse quickly
Tags on halter or braided into mane
Contact info with livestock “crayons”
Photographs

13. What You Can do to Prepare - 4
Have a “go bag” for your horse
Halter, leads, bucket, first aid kit, meds, blanket/sheet, etc
Keep your horse’s vaccinations up to date – they’ll be in contact with other horses and it’s going to be stressful

14. What You Can do to Prepare - 5
Identify several emergency access routes
If you are located in a difficult area and you need evacuation, pre-identify locations a trailer could get to

15. What You Can do to Prepare - 6
What if you’re not home?
Pre-plan with your neighbors
If you have boarders, make sure *they* understand what’s needed & what they can do

16. What You Can do to Prepare - 6
Complete (and submit!) the Equine Evacuation Ranch Emergency Information Form
Gives Equine Evac a sense of where horses are and what evac resources will be needed:
How many horses?
Stallions?
Draft horses?
Youngsters?
Do they all load?
Trailer access constraints
Information is NOT shared
Available on the Equine Evac website under “Disaster Planning”

17. What You Can do to Prepare - 7
KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO DO!
Have an evacuation plan
Templates/guides available on line
Be sure to include necessary contacts
Boarders
Neighbors
Your work numbers
If you need evac, call
Santa Cruz County Animal Services: #1

18. Things to Think About
Fire service or police can prevent Equine Evac access to areas they feel are too dangerous – so you may need to evacuate your own animals
Try NOT to turn horses loose.
They tend to return to familiar places, dangerous if they’re in the path of a fire
If the animals are loose on the road, they may interfere with emergency vehicles

19. Things to Think About - 2
If your road is too narrow or steep for a trailer to safely access your property, be prepared to lead your horse(s) to an accessible location
Not all emergencies are fires . . .
Earthquakes, floods, power failures . . .
Evacuation may be days away
Food, water, flashlights, radio (and batteries), for 3 days
First aid kits for humans & animals
Tools for making your area safe: wire cutters, bolt cutters

20. If Your Horse is Evacuated . . .
Identify and claim him as soon as possible
Owners must care for their horses while they are at the evacuation facility

21. The Process Determine Number of trailers required
Location of Staging Area
Location of Shelter
Teams to be involved
Equine Evac “Alert”
Team leads informed
Phone tree begins
Resources identified
Activation
Trailer teams,
Comms, SAMs
Logistics
Coordinator
Shelter Area
Staging Area
EOC
Trailer teams
dispatched
Animals to Shelter Area

22. The Process - 2 Situation is reviewed at intervals:
Resources at staging area: trailers, comms
Resources at shelter area
The length of the evacuation effort will be decided by Animal Services
Can change from Evac mode to “Care & Assistance” mode
Animal Services determines when the emergency event is deactivated.