Ulster County Emergency Animal Response Team Orientation

Ulster County Emergency Animal Response Team Orientation
Wednesday July 16, 2014, 5:30-7:00pm
Common Council Chambers, City Hall, 420 Broadway, Kingston, NY

Presentations by:
Art Snyder, Ulster County Office of Emergency Management
Michael Raphael, American Red Cross of Northeastern NY
Dr David Chico, Empire State Animal Response Team
Irene Penney, Dutchess CART (County Animal Response Team)

The Ulster County Office of Emergency Management, the UCSPCA, the American Red Cross of Northeastern NY and UlsterCorps invite you to join us for an informative introductory presentation about establishing a County Animal Response Team in Ulster County. County Animal Response Teams serve as a specialized resource to assist local emergency management officials, as needed, in all phases of an emergency (mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery) or disaster that impacts animals to ensure the humane care and treatment of animals in case of a disaster, or other situations that cause animal suffering by rescuing, relocating, fostering, etc.; and to assist in protecting public health concerns where humans and animals interact.

County Animal Response Teams are public and private partnerships for the unified, interagency preparation and response to animal emergencies; they integrate governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, veterinarians, and private volunteers for a cohesive and effective approach in response to animal related disasters, and are based on the principles of the Incident Command System. They increase the capability to respond to animal emergencies on the local, county, state and federal level, have a mission to provide prevention, response and recovery for animal emergencies, and require their members to receive specific training, and sign and abide by a code of conduct.

Volunteers are essential to make these plans viable and assist with prevention, response & recovery for animal emergencies. An Ulster County Animal Response Team would develop a cadre of pre-trained volunteers who can assist Emergency Management in the event of an emergency involving animals. It would be deployed at the request of County Emergency Management. Qualified volunteers are covered for worker’s comp and liability under Article 26-A of Agriculture and Markets Law.

Join us to learn how you can be a part of this critical community effort by contacting Liz or Vicki at ucart@ulstercorps.org or (845) 379-1098.