What our volunteers say about our classes 
Living on the coastline of South Carolina, one must expect to be affected by certain types of natural disasters and sometimes, man-made disasters. While investigating South Carolina's emergency response plans, I could not find any that included animals, more specifically, domestic pets. So I was very happy when an opportunity presented itself to address these exact needs.

The South Carolina Veterinarian Reserve Corp requested the help of the Florida State Animal Rescue Coalition. Widely known for their disaster sheltering curriculum and expertise, FLSARC was invited to share their curriculum with a diverse group of participants representing their counties in a variety of emergency management roles. The ultimate goal...to prepare communities for potential threats and offer suggestions on how to cope and rebuild after a disaster. During this particular training weekend, the emphasis was placed on Small Animal Emergency Sheltering and Operations Level.

The FLSARC team consisted of 7 facilitators, all experts in their areas of instruction. Armed with a 171 page curriculum on Small Animal Emergency Sheltering and a 276 page Operations Level curriculum, these instructors poured through an abundance of information as it related to animal emergency sheltering. In my 10 years of work in animal welfare and in all the training courses I have attended, this is the best curriculum I have ever experienced. And a great perk: you receive a copy of the curriculum which you can reference over and over again, share relevant information,  and take it on the road with you.

The lessons were followed by thoughtful and creative practical exercises. This was one of my favorite parts of the training; tabletop and hands-on activities that challenged the participants to put into practice what they had learned (and some were arduous). Since the group was so diverse, it was fascinating to observe each person's approach and rationale. And it really reinforced the concept of mutual respect, collaborative learning, and teamwork; lots of learning from one another.

And there were so many opportunities to ask questions and share stories. The instructors were very approachable, willing to listen, share their experiences and offer up suggestions. It was obvious that the chemistry between them was one of respect, support, and friendship.

There were a few other really nice rewards to the training weekend; seeing some old friends that I had not seen in a very long time and of course, meeting new friends and colleagues that I hope I will have the opportunity to work with in the future. And every training weekend should include yummy food; no exceptions here!

In looking towards the future, I feel that the training I received has prepared me to assist my community and state reach its potential. By ensuring that South Carolina's emergency disaster plan is inclusive of all animals, our community members can feel comfort in knowing that "the ENTIRE family matters". I also feel that this training has prepared me to make a significant contribution if volunteering in any small animal emergency shelter.

And it is with much excitement and distinction, that I can now say, I am a team member of the Florida State Animal Response Coalition family. I look forward to supporting one of the best trained and disaster ready agencies in the country.

When an evacuation order is issued, the Evacuation Assembly Area (EAA) will be activated to assist members of the public and their pets who do not have reliable transportation out of town.

Appropriate staffing at the pet evacuation area has always been a major concern in regards to pet check in procedures, registration, vaccination and loading. Animal Control and the Humane Society both are responsible for evacuating their own shelters and simply will not have enough staff to assist with pet evacuations of the general public at the EAA. This year, we decided to do something about it.

    We are proud to announce the First graduating class of the Chatham Animal Response Team, the first of its kind in the state. Together, the group has completed approximately 1,000 hours of training to become the first deployable volunteer team in the state of Georgia. This victory would not be possible without the help of the Florida State Animal Response Coalition.

    As the first and only animal response group to have plans approved by FEMA, the Florida SARC members are truly leading subject matter experts.  They traveled to Savannah for three weekend sessions to train Chatham County citizens on all-hazard disaster preparation, planning, training, response, recovery and sheltering during animal emergencies.  The training consists of three levels: Introduction, Advanced and Train the Trainer. Of the original group, 30 are approved to deploy, 18 advanced to incident managers and 12 are approved for training future volunteers. To help CART members gain experience, they are encouraged to volunteer with area shelters and rescue organizations.


  
 Now, when a hurricane, fire, tornado or other disaster threatens our area, the Chatham Animal Response Team (CART) will be there to assist the animals that rely on us. CART is organized under Chatham Emergency Management and utilizes the principles of The Incident Command System (ICS). Thanks to Florida SARC, our volunteers are now able to not only exercise pet emergency response, some have become certified trainers and have the ability to train other teams throughout Georgia.

The Florida SARC is an invaluable resource for Chatham County and we are so proud to have them as emergency response partners.

Meredith Ley, Public Information Officer
Chatham Emergency Management Agency
Savannah, Georgia  

The Regional Ambassador is an outreach and networking volunteer position available to Emergency Managers, Shelter Managers, and Red Cross pet friendly shelters in your local region to assist Florida's State Agricultural Response Team with local All Hazard Emergency Plans, and consult with local agencies to coordinate area response efforts when requested. Regional Ambassadors will be available to attend local shelter events and/or planning meetings and work with the local shelters to build a community team to help them with hoarding cases, Microchip/Spay/Neuter/Vaccine clinics and other special events.
Additionally, they are your local point of contact to coordinate and identify potential locations and agencies to host SARC training courses.

Look for the SARC booth at future adoption and other community events to promote the SARC mission of preparedness for all of Florida's citizens...because the ENTIRE family matters!

 

  Learn More about becoming a SARC Ambassador