These steps are the keys to keep your equines, backyard livestock, pets (and you) as safe as possible in evacuation and shelter-in-place situations.
Plan For Everything
Make a written EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN, (EAP), for every situation that may occur: Wildfire, earthquake, extreme heat, severe storm, windstorm, flash flood, barn fire.Keep your plans updated. Discuss plans at regular meetings with staff, boarders, and neighbors.Give copies to designated barn staff and your animal Evac helpers.
Include your veterinarian(s) in your planning. Some jurisdictions require equine boarding or housing facilities to submit plans annually to the local agency responsible for animal welfare, such as Animal Control. Find out if this is the case in your area. Even if not required, it can be highly advantageous in a disaster for emergency services go have your EAP, contacts, and accurate site map and building layout.
Make your EAP easy to access and use. Binders are a good way to keep your EAP.Make sure you store the info electronically, too. Placing a copy of your EAP in a strong lockbox accessible to firefighters and/or authorized Animal Response Team can be very helpful if local responders are aware of its location. Be diligent about updates! Animal stall cards, ID, Microchip info, CareSheets, Insurance info, EmergencyContacts must be kept current.
Your Personal Resource Network—keep in touch, and Practice! Pre-identify multiple emergency haulers, animal handling helpers, and boarding or camping destinations. Work with the authorized AnimalEmergencyResponse Teams in your area.
Keep phone numbers, addresses and maps in your Emergency Plan. Practice with helpers and your animals frequently. Routes may vary depending on conditions and evacuation levels.
Assess Risks for Evac & Shelter-in-Place (SIP)
Early Wildfire or flood evacuation is always best and safest. Animals sheltered in place close to a wildfire face many risks, including exposure to extreme heat, blowing embers, smoke, falling trees, toxins and stress.
Flood and severe summertime hazards include exposure to toxins, electrocution, hypothermia, aspiration, and injury from submerged fences, wells and holes, and debris. Animals sheltering in place may be without care, clean water or food for many days.
People who chose to stay with animals in these conditions are also facing life-threatening risks.Wildfire SIP should NEVER be Plan A. If you plan for deliberate or “last resort” animal shelter-in-place, these steps improve their chances for safety.
After a storm or earthquake, you and your neighbors may need to rely on yourselves and each other for several days or weeks before emergency responders and supplies can reach you.
EVAC & SIP RISK ASSESSMENT
Be realistic: Can old or lame animals load and travel safely?
o How long will it take?
o How many handlers and rigs do you need?
o Who will care for them at your destination?
o Are you and your property ready for emergency SIP?
SIP Risk Reality Check
o Do you have irrigated or dry lot turnouts or pasture?
o Is water source secure?
o Is fencing fire-safe?
o Can emergency vehicles see the entrance and get into property? If they can’t find it, or can’t get into it safely, they can’t help your animals or defend your property.
o If your property is not safe for responders, it’s not safe for your animals or you.
Fire SIP Risks - Animals and humans may be exposed to serious risks.
§ Help may not be able to reach animals (and you) for many days.
§ May be without care, clean water and feed for several days.
§ You may be cut off from all communications.
§ Radiant heat, ember cast, smoke, toxins, dangerous trees and down power lines.
§ Animals may get onto roads if fences are down
PUTTING PLANS INTO ACTION
Fire Weather Prep Steps:
PRACTICE on Weather WATCH days.
Be READY TO GO whenever there’s a Weather WARNING
Get information from TRUSTED AGENCY resources. Read alerts as they are updated.
• Make a CHECKLIST, put it where you can use it every time you are facing a Fire Weather Watch or Warning.
• Load your personal & animal EAP and important documents file or binder in your vehicle.
• Call to confirm helpers, transportation and boarding space.
• Have Animal Care Sheets and Emergency Plan ready to go and give them to transport and boarding or shelter staff.Keep a set with you.
• Inspect & prep trailer, remove bedding.
• Fuel or charge vehicles and stage for quick departure.
•Put visible ID on animals.
•Do a loading practice, feed them in trailer.
•Contain animals where you can catch them easily.
•Stage good halters & ropes for every animal.
•Remove fly masks, sheets, and leg wraps before leaving or transporting equines if fire is near.
•Get your Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) ready to go: Helmet, sunglasses and goggles, work gloves, work boots, long sleeve cotton t-shirt.
Refuge Area Prep
If it’s not possible to move your old, lame or untrained equines or livestock, take steps to make their surroundings as defensible and safe as possible. Make your animals home safe for responders to access and defend.
• Leave lots of extra water.
•Prevent troughs from tipping.
•Increase moisture in and around their turnout or pasture.
•Make a mud wallow.
•Remove masks, wraps, halters & blankets.
•Leave halters & ropes for every equine.
•Turn animals out, but not loose where they can get onto a road.
•Leave gates closed but unlocked.
•Close barn & shed doors to prevent animals from going inside.
•Flag barbwire fences at frequent intervals with safety tape.
•Never leave any kind of animal tied or locked inside a crate or out building.
•Never leave one member of a herd alone.
•If you must evacuate without your animals, notify Animal Services or the Animal Hotline immediately.
EVAC and SIP FAQs
FACT: Early evacuation saves lives and reduces stress for your animals and you.
Q. What are the best ways to get information?
A. Critical emergency information is provided by the agencies managing the emergency. These can include the Office of Emergency Services,County Sheriff, a local or regional fire agency, local radio and TV news,City Animal Services or Humane organization, local Animal Shelter, and, sometimes, the Ag Extension Advisor or Ag Commissioner.
Q. What TYPES of WEATHER ALERTS should I be aware of?
A. Fire Weather, Wind, Thunderstorm, Flash Flood and Winter StormWATCH and WARNING forecasts should trigger actions.
Q. HOW to decide WHEN or IF to move your animals or prepare for them to Shelter in Place?
A. The time to plan is year-round. The time to ACTIVATE YOUR PLAN is whenever a Severe Weather event is predicted.During a Weather Watch or Warning there may not be a Red Flag, but fire danger can be high. If a Red Flag is issued for an area near you, be hyper-vigilant and ready to go.
Q. When to Go?
A. The time to GO is when there’s an Extreme or Severe Weather threat predicted for your area. Red Flag, Extreme Fire Danger, Flash Flood orDebris Flow warnings can escalate quickly into local emergencies resulting in road closures and evacuations.
Q. Why not wait for Evac Orders?
A. An Evac WARNING can change to an ORDER very fast. You many receive and EVAC ORDER without any prior warning. DO NOT WAIT until you get an EVAC Alert. By waiting, you put yourself, your helpers, your animals, others trying to evacuate, and responders at risk.
Q.Who Can Help You?
A. BEFORE an Evac Order—Any safe, trustworthy helpers and haulers.INSIDE an EVAC ZONE—Only authorized responders can enter. If they’re not included in OFFICIAL AGENCY ALERTS, they’re not authorized responders and you’re creating hazards by asking for their help.
Q. How to request help?
A. Call the “Hotline” or Emergency Numbers posted by official emergency management agencies in the Alerts posted by official Animal Emergency agencies. Some jurisdictions have procedures in place to assist commercial farmers and ranchers care for livestock. In most places, equines are under the authority of Animal Services and the same type of assistance is provided for pets.
Q: How do I know who is taking my animals?
A: Always get complete contact info, driver’s license info, and vehicle license number before giving animals to strangers.
Q. Supplies: How much do I need?
A. Water, food, meds:
o 7-14 Days if evacuating
o SIP: Minimum of 30 days
o PLUS, extra parasite control
Strengthen Your Animal Resource Safety Network
Your Animal Resource Safety Net is a critical part of planning. Develop your own network of animal helpers and neighbors. These are people who can safely and responsibly handle your equines and any other animals you may have or care for. Animal Helpers/Evac Buddies should be nearby, in the same Evac Zone as your animals. Keep their contacts updated and all your other Emergency Contacts, where you can access them quickly. Plan as a group–For barns, therapy programs, equestrian communities, clubs and other groups or neighborhoods, copies of your EAP should be accessible immediately by those in charge at any time. Your primary and emergency veterinarians, and your local AnimalServices or Humane agency responsible for animals in disasters should also have copies.Make Strong Connections–Connect with local groups to find resources, such as local CART or Equine Evac team, riding clubs, Horsemen’sAssociations,FFA, 4-H, Rodeo Association,LocalFarm Bureau.
