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Domestic Animal Care Team: Scope of Practice

Mission    


To educate the public on emergency preparedness for animals, coordinate shelter and care for displaced and/or lost pets, and assist in the temporary evacuation of livestock and large animals like horses. 


Pre-Disaster Activities


  • Participate in community-sponsored training, drills, and exercises as their schedule allows. 


  • Participate in staffing outreach/information booths for community events.


  • Prepare and distribute educational materials on emergency preparedness for animals.


  • Work in partnership with the Ready Your Street Team to include animal readiness materials in Street-level preparedness.


  • Recruit veterinarians and animal clinic professionals to the team.


  • Meet with the Transportation Team to make a plan for the transportation of injured and rescued animals.


Activation Timeline


6–8 hours post incident, as Ready Your Street responsibilities allow (e.g., take care of local emergencies first)


Post-Disaster Activation


  • If the disaster is a wildfire, report to the Emergency Operations Center to assist in coordination of evacuation of displaced animals or animals separated from their humans.


  • Otherwise, report to the Domestic Animal Care Shelter. The first volunteer to arrive becomes Incident Commander and opens the Standard Operating Procedures manual and begins to follow shelter setup procedures.


  • Submit via ham radio the completed windshield survey for the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) upon arrival at the Hub.


  • Once the shelter is set up, communicate with EOC and Disaster Hubs about any sightings of loose animals or reports of injured animals. 


  • Coordinate with the Transportation team to get animals to the shelter.


  • Keep careful records of animals brought in, including identification tags, breed, gender, color, and markings.


  • Treat injured animals and provide care for the displaced ones.


  • Assist in making arrangements for the transportation of large animals to places where they can be cared for.


  • Begin work of reconnecting animals with their humans.


Hours will vary based on the nature of the incident but will not exceed one 12-hour shift/24-hour period for a maximum of 14 consecutive days. 


Supervision Responsibilities


Volunteer will not be expected to supervise others unless specifically assigned as a team lead. 


Training and Orientation


  • FEMA IS-100 (An Introduction to the Incident Command System)


  • FEMA IS-700 (An Introduction to the National Incident Management System)


  • FEMA IS-10.a (Animals in Disasters: Awareness and Preparedness)


  • FEMA IS-11.a (Animals in Disasters: Community Planning)


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