|
|
|
Support This Website by Visiting Our Advertisers!
| PET DISASTER PREPAREDNESS **UPDATES**
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma had an unimaginably miserable impact upon the two- and four-legged residents of the American Gulf Coast. Learn what you can do now to prepare for disasters in their own communities. Remember, it doesn't take a tornado or an earthquake to have a disaster!
Preparing your pets for the next Katrina (or other disaster) The most comprehensive World Wide Web resource for information on disaster preparedness is the AVMA Disaster Preparedness and Response Guide. This site includes a laundry list of links to written materials on topics ranging from preparing for particular contingencies (hurricanes, blizzards, etc.) to evacuation and emergency response mechanisms to incident management methods. Make this your first stop for information. A well-written, thumbnail summary of pet preparedness and response steps for the average citizen is found in the AVMA's Saving the Whole Family disaster preparedness brochure. This is available in both html, text and PDF formats and can be purchased in bulk for re-distribution by officials, veterinarians and other organizations. Your federal government is not absent in this battle. Every citizen should make personal preparedness a part of his or her lifestyle by tapping into the guidance offered by FEMA and Ready.gov. By following its guidance and implementing a few simple, low-cost steps each week or more, you can make the difference between your own level of comfort and days or even weeks of misery following a disaster. Make sure to stop by your FEMA Pets and Disasters WWW Library as a guide to more detailed resources. Encourage the children you know to also help in pet preparedness efforts by visiting the FEMA for Kids pet pages. Another worthwhile stop in your visit to FEMA is the Animals and Emergencies webpage. It includes links to pages on preparedness & response. As a former emergency manager myself, I heartily encourage every pet owner to enroll in the free and simple on-line FEMA courses on animal disaster preparedness and response. Donations to the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams (VMAT). VMATs are probably the safest, most effective means of support disaster animal relief efforts. VMATs served extensively after Katrina and Rita disaster area. VMATs are teams of specially trained veterinarians and veterinary specialists who, upon instructions of FEMA, the US Public Health Service/Disaster Medical Service or state emergency management officials, are prepared to deploy to disaster areas and render emergency aid. AVMA is responsible for the organization and preparedness of VMATs. Team members are volunteers that are made employees of the US Public Health Service upon VMAT mobilization and carry the full faith and credit of the US government in the execution of their duties. Beneficiaries of VMAT care include not only survivors of disaster but animal rescue resources such as injured or ill search and rescue dogs. Learn more about VMATs by reading an informative brochure, available in both HTML and Adobe formats, through AVMA. Donations are accepted by AMVA through the American Veterinary Medical Foundation. See the links in the right-hand column to make direct donations to these efforts. American Humane Association and its Animal Emergency Services program The Denver-based AHA mobilizes its national Animal Emergency Services unit for rescue and relief efforts in the U.S. Sponsored in part by the Petco Foundation, the AES has a volunteer program for those that will want to be ready to help in the future. AHA also needs donations to fund its work.
|
Katrina Aid
|
|
Copyright 1996-2005 Jim Greenway Questions? Suggestions? Broken Links? Let me know. SARTECH I(tm), SARTECH II(tm) & SARTECH IiI(tm) are all trademarks of the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR)
|
