HORSEPLAY: Peninsula disaster volunteers

LAST NIGHT WAS the highly anticipated meeting of volunteers who are willing to take part in the Clallam County Emergence Management Animal Disaster Planning Committee. Once finalized, it will become part of the county’s comprehensive emergency management plan (CEMP).

The room was packed full of eager participants. There, they listened with rapt attention as Emergency Management Program Coordinator Justine Chorley presented a slideshow chock full of information about the scope of the project — what it would take — to help create an emergency disaster response plan for domestic large and small animals.

Whoa! Back up, Karen. You don’t write a breaking news story for the front page of the newspaper! How is it your Saturday morning column about an event that took place the night before, was written, the copy editor added it to a page and sent it to the printer for it to be printed, published, printed and available to the public early the next morning? Full disclosure, I can’t. My column is for Lifestyle section, which is put together and ready to be published earlier in the week by the talented copy editors.

So, no, as the meeting is still a few days away, I don’t really know how many people attended, but as one of the organizers, I know many who planned on going, and several who already signed up. No doubt many were spurred into action over the events surrounding the devastating Pacific Palisades fire in California that started Jan. 7, burned more than 23,700 acres and is still smoldering today.

Saving lives

I’ve been following the response there by volunteer-run animal rescue organizations, and I am so inspired and impressed by their organization and actions. Los Angeles County has an incredible emergency response team, which immediately leapt into round-the-clock action and, in just the first few days, rescued and helped hundreds of lost and injured pets.

The Facebook pages of West Coast Equine Emergency Response/Fleet of Angels, Southern CA Equine Emergency Evacuation, Administrators coordinating animal response teams — transport, search and rescue, open shelters to evacuate to, shelters that are full. Links to active fires, recovery information, emergency information and evacuation updates. They’ve provided information on other groups, such as those dealing with lost, found and hurt animals in need of veterinary assistance are also available on those pages.

A companion animal rescue organization mentioned, “In collaboration with the Los Angeles County Animal Care & Control under the County’s request for mutual aid, we’ve been sending strike teams into the evacuation areas to help rescue and care for animals left behind.

“We’ve been joined with emergency response teams from across the state and country including: ASPCA, American Humane, San Diego Humane Society, North Valley Animal Disaster Group and Kern County Animal Services.

“Emergency responders are bringing animals in need of medical attention to the Intensive Care Unit at Pasadena Humane for triage and treatment by either Pasadena Humane veterinarians or other veterinary and wildlife partners.

“We have seen a significant number of burned and injured animals. These animals are suffering from smoke inhalation, singed paws, burns, dehydration, and more. We have been treating each animal based on their needs, providing fluids, oxygen, pain medications and wound care.”

Impressive emergency disaster response coordination from volunteers and their organizations, wouldn’t you say? Those volunteer groups often work as first responders, being careful to listen to and obey the first responders in command — firefighters and police officers — and appreciating saving people is their first priority.

Government aid from groups such as FEMA and the National Guard, as well as assistance from nonprofit humanitarian organization like The Red Cross, don’t get involved until after a State of Emergency is declared by government officials.

That’s when funds also become available to help pay back businesses that used their resources (feed, equipment, etc.) to aid in recovery. So, hang on to those invoices and receipts. To expedite recouping funds, Chorley suggests business owners in Clallam County sign an agreement now, before an event occurs.

By now, you’ve realized it will take a great many volunteers to help kickstart and run the plan. Initially, volunteers will be asked to sign up in their primary area of expertise: organization, emergency communication, companion animals — dogs, cats, pocket pets (perhaps gerbil and hamster types?), house exotics (I’m guessing that could be snakes? Or birds and reptiles?

As well as large animals — horses, mules, donkeys, cattle, pigs, goats. Poultry — chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese. Farm exotics and any other animal experience.

For insurance reasons, all volunteers need to register with the CCEM to be Volunteer Emergency Response Personnel for the county. Then, they will be asked to take a free online class to get a certification in Incident Command System (ICS) and, if handling animals, Animal Protocol. Both are very short courses offered by FEMA at training.fema.gov.

Volunteers will be needed for administration in every area, including alert notifications, coordinating volunteer groups and individuals, volunteers to help with transportation (keep those trucks and trailers well maintained and fuel tanks full), organizing feed supply chains (who needs what, where and when).

Volunteers will be needed to oversee shelters and evacuations sites. Help will be needed from those experienced in handling frightened and wounded horses and livestock, dogs, cats and everything in between. Helpers will be needed for daily hands-on feed and care, along with poop and manure management.

Volunteers will be needed to obtain signed agreements with local businesses — pet stores, feed stores — who can help during a state of emergency. Volunteers will be asked to brainstorm to figure out where to locate evacuation and rescue shelters, and get a signed agreement to use those areas.

I’m hopeful we’ll have all the local animal-related businesses register to help when and if disaster strikes.

Really, it’s an exciting time to be involved! Won’t you sign up, too?

________

Karen Griffiths’ column, Peninsula Horseplay, appears the second and fourth Saturday of each month.

If you have a horse event, clinic or seminar you would like listed, please email Griffiths at kbg@olympus.net at least two weeks in advance. You can also call her at 360-460-6299.

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