102-Animal Disaster Annex.pdfCITY OF CUPERTINO
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN
ANIMALS IN DISASTER ANNEX
CT OF
The Santa Clara County Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan, Animals in
Disaster Annex, Revised March 17, 2010 was originally written by Kelle Remmel,
Sitara Lones, and M.S. Remmel Consulting Services for the Santa Clara County
Office of Emergency Services. It has been modified and adapted for use by the
City of Cupertino's Disaster Animal Shelter Planning Committee.
December 8, 2010
Table of Contents
I. INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................3
A. Overview....................................................................................................................3
B. Purpose ...................................................................................................................4
C. Goals and Objectives................................................................................................4
D. Organization and Scope...........................................................................................5
11. PLANNING AND PREPAREDNESS...........................................................................6
A. Assumptions.............................................................................................................6
B. Planning Guidance....................................................................................................6
Ill. TYPES OF ANIMALS.................................................................................................8
IV. KEY PLAYERS..........................................................................................................9
A. Santa Clara County Operational Area.....................................................................9
B. Cities/Townships and City/Township Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) ..9
C. Local Animal Control Agencies, Shelters and Animal Hospitals ..........................9
D. American Red Cross............................................................................................10
V. RESOURCES...........................................................................................................11
A. DANR and CVMA.....................................................................................................11
B. Community -Based Organizations (CBOs)............................................................11
C. Suppliers and Vendors...........................................................................................12
D. Mobile Animal Shelter Trailers...............................................................................12
VI. RESPONSE STRATEGIES.....................................................................................13
A. Concept of Operations...........................................................................................13
B. Activation.................................................................................................................13
C. Protocols for Animal Shelters................................................................................13
1. Managing and Prioritizing Shelter Population and Evacuation .......................13
2. Shelter Setup.......................................................................................................15
3. Euthanasia Priorities...........................................................................................15
4. Utilization of Volunteers.....................................................................................15
5. Periodic Review of Protocols ................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
VII. DEMOBILIZATION.................................................................................................17
A. Shelter Procedures.................................................................................................17
B. Debriefing and After Action Report.......................................................................17
C. Critical Incident Stress Management....................................................................18
Vlll. ATTACHMENTS....................................................................................................19
A. Shelter Forms..........................................................................................................19
B. Suggested Emergency Animal Shelter Locations................................................19
C. Sample Emergency Animal Shelter Guidelines....................................................19
D. Emergency Animal Shelter Procedures................................................................19
E. Animal Food Sources Checklist and Survey........................................................19
F. Animal Care Supplies Survey.................................................................................19
G. MOU Used by the City of Cupertino......................................................................19
H. Recommended Organizations for Cupertino MOUs.............................................19
I. Animal Transportation Resources..........................................................................19
J. Resources & Contacts List.....................................................................................19
K. Authorities and References..................................................................... 19
1. Hayden Bill (CA SB 1785)
2. PETS Act 2006, Public Law 109-308
3. Animal Services Agreement Between the City of San Jose and the City of
Cupertino (29 June 2004)
I. INTRODUCTION
A. OVERVIEW
California is susceptible to a wide array of disasters such as earthquakes, fires and
floods. Past disasters have shown that people delay or refuse to evacuate their homes
unless they can bring their pets and livestock with them. For many people, pets are
considered a member of the family. No one wants to leave animals behind, and when
asked to do so, many owners will risk their own lives and the lives of others to save their
animals. When people are unwilling to enter a shelter or refuse to evacuate during an
emergency they risk their own safety and place rescue workers at risk. Additionally, pet
and livestock owners are typically not prepared with specialized transport and holding
areas, which may be difficult or impossible to arrange during a sudden disaster.
The Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006 (PETS) was a bi-
partisan initiative in the United States House of Representatives to require states
seeking Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance to accommodate
pets and service animals in their plans for evacuating residents facing disasters. The
State of California and its subordinate jurisdictions are subject to this Act enacted as
Public Law 109-308.
The Act requires that disaster preparedness strategies for pets and livestock safety
must be in place before a disaster occurs. Disaster preparedness for animal safety
minimizes loss and suffering of animals, and reduces trauma to victims already suffering
from the disaster. State and local governments are increasingly realizing that planning
for the evacuation and sheltering of animals in any disaster is essential to the well-being
of all residents.
The Cupertino Animals in Disaster Annex is designed as an annex to the City of
Cupertino Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). The EOP provides an overview and
guidance for the care and sheltering of animals following a major disaster. This Annex
provides supplemental instructions regarding care and sheltering of animals for the City
of Cupertino.
The original county annex planning was done by the Santa Clara County Emergency
Managers Association Animals in Disaster Committee, a group representing public,
private and non-profit animal care agencies throughout the County. The Committee
provided guidance and resources for the development of the county level animal care
and sheltering plan.
The basis for the plan and its attachments is the animal shelter operations guidance
document developed by the Bay Area Super Urban Area Security Initiative (SUASI).
The document also represents animal disaster guidelines published by the California
Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the UC Davis Division of Agriculture
and Natural Resources (DANR).
B. PURPOSE
This Annex serves as an adjunct to the Santa Clara County Animals in Disaster Annex
and is designed to aid the City of Cupertino in preparing for animals before, during, and
after a disaster. This document outlines guidance for the care and sheltering of animals
throughout Cupertino in a major disaster.
The purpose of this Annex is to:
• Provide standardization of protocols and practices for sheltering animals in a disaster
within the City of Cupertino
• Provide direction for the overall coordination of resources for animal care within the
city's jurisdictional boundaries and sphere of influence
• Ensure the City planning for animal care is included within and consistent with the
Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) and the National Incident
Management System (NIMS)
• Identify key players and resources within Cupertino for sheltering animals in a disaster
C. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Overall Goals:
• Protect the health and safety of the community
• Provide for the temporary immediate care, control and safety of owned animals while
their owners are in shelters or responding to the disaster
• Provide a system for returning animals to their owners
• Support Santa Clara County's plans to provide for the temporary care of stray/lost or
displaced animals
• Minimize animal suffering, loss of life, and potential disability by ensuring a timely and
coordinated assistance process
• Provide for the care of any animals brought to human shelters, other evacuation sites
and ARKs (City Reporting Locations)
Objectives:
• Establish procedures for activating and deactivating this Annex
• Coordinate with the County to provide for the management of animal care and control
services, facilities, activities and resources in disaster response and recovery
D. ORGANIZATION AND SCOPE
This Cupertino Animals in Disaster (AiD) Annex is an annex of the City of Cupertino
Emergency Operations Plan and works in coordination with the Santa Clara County
Animals in Disaster Annex, which is an Annex to the County of Santa Clara Emergency
Operations Plan.
This Annex is applicable within the geographical boundaries of the City of Cupertino and
its sphere of influence. The AiD Annex references multiple county, regional, state, and
national organizations that may help to provide services or resources needed to meet
the needs of evacuating and sheltering animals during a disaster.
This Annex will be activated when a major situation or potential situation exists which
creates animal related problems that exceed the capabilities of the Anima! Services
Agreement Between the City of San Jose and the City of Cupertino, dated 29 June
2004; see Attachment E.
E. ANNEX REVIEW PROCESS
This Annex, should be exercised whenever possible, and modified as necessary.
Attachments should be reviewed and updated at least annually.
PLANNING AND PREPAREDNESS
F. ASSUMPTIONS
In disasters, the first priority is the protection of human life, property, and the
environment. Historically, this has rarely included planning for the coordinated response
for the evacuation, care and sheltering of household pets. Based on previous
experiences with disaster and local planning efforts, the following planning assumptions
are made regarding animals in a disaster:
• Local resources within the City of Cupertino will be very limited the first few days
following a major disaster
• Many residents assume government resources will be available to rescue them and
their pets or livestock (hereafter jointly referred to as "animals") in an emergency
• Most animal owners do not make evacuation plans and have not stockpiled resources
and supplies to care for their animals
• Evacuation orders may not give information about taking animals away from affected
properties
• A percentage of animal owners will fail to evacuate because of concern for the welfare
of their animals
• Many animal owners will arrive at human care shelters with their household animals
• Some animal owners will leave their animals behind to fend for themselves
• Service animals will be allowed in human shelters
• All other animals will not be allowed in Red Cross shelters
• A large number of animals will need shelter, and will arrive without provisions
• Many owners will be separated from their animals because of the disaster, and
animals will arrive at animal shelters without any medical history or other
documentation
• There will be an ever present danger of disease and contamination due to the
presence of undocumented animals
G. PLANNING GUIDANCE
As with all planning for disaster response, it is always more effective to plan prior to a
disaster and anticipate resource needs, operational plans, and coordination with other
response agencies. Disasters in California are managed locally and resources coming
into local jurisdictions from the county, state, and federal government will be
coordinated through the Santa Clara County Operational Area for all of its sixteen
jurisdictions. It is critical that local agencies work within their emergency response
systems, at a city level, and coordinate activities and resources through their local city
emergency management agency to provide for the best city-wide coordination possible.
In this way, working within our emergency management system, the City of Cupertino
will be able to provide and care for the greatest number of animals possible after a
large-scale disaster.
Another overall planning concept for this Annex is the assumption that City of
Cupertino`s field level temporary shelters will need to be established at a variety of
locations to meet the needs of sheltering animals in a disaster. Ideally, shelters will be
located next to Red Cross human shelters and other mass care shelters to allow people
to reside in shelters in close proximity to their pets. Co -locating animal shelters close to
human shelters is a guiding principle and a goal for animal shelter planning in
Cupertino.
The Red Cross has identified potential locations within the City of Cupertino that could
be used as temporary human shelters.
See Attachment B for a list of suggested temporary animal shelters.
II. TYPES OF ANIMALS
The California Animal Response Emergency System (CARES) defines "animals" as
"affected commercial livestock, companion animals, exhibition animals, captive wildlife,
and exotic pets". This definition is used for state level response activities. The Urban
Area Security Initiative (UASI) Animals Operations Guide recommends that dogs, cats,
rabbits, birds, reptiles, horses, livestock, exotic pets, captive wildlife and wildlife be
considered in disaster planning.
Service animals are defined by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) as guide dogs,
signal dogs, and other animals trained to provide assistance to individuals with
disabilities and are exempt from restrictions with regards to facility and transportation
access.
For the purposes of the protocols outlined in this Annex, animals will be categorized by
the following species or types used in the Bay Area SUASI guide:
Dogs 13,146
Cats 14,830
Rabbits and other small mammals
Reptiles and amphibians
Domestic and exotic birds 2,038
Horses and other equine 1,310
Chickens and other domestic fowl
Livestock and other farm animals not included above (goats, pigs, cows, llamas, etc.)
Other exotic pets (including licensed or permitted wildlife)
Naturally occurring wildlife
The numbers of household pets in Cupertino, listed above, are according to 2010
estimates by the Association of Veterinary Medicine for communities with a
population of 52,000.
This Annex addresses only the first four (4) categories of animals. At this time, the City
of Cupertino is not equipped to deal with large livestock or wildlife. An exception may be
made for small livestock, such as those animals at McClelland Ranch Park and the farm
at Rancho San Antonio.
Cupertino residents who own horses should make arrangements in advance to have
horses trailered in case of an emergency. If a resident does not own a trailer or does
not have enough trailer space for all their horses, they should make arrangements with
other horse owners or organizations such as the Santa Clara County Horsemen's
Association or the Bay Area Equestrian Network to help evacuate their horses.
111. KEY PLAYERS
A. SANTA CLARA COUNTY OPERATIONAL AREA EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER (EOC)
As the Operational Area (OA), the Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Services is
responsible for coordinating and brokering requests for emergency relief resources in
the county during a disaster. It is the primary point of contact for allocating these
resources among affected jurisdictions of Santa Clara County and requesting additional
resources from the state. The OA includes all the cities, towns and special districts
within the county. The Incident Command System (ICS) is used to manage overall
emergency response activities at all levels of coordination.
The Operational Area EOC will include an Animal Services Coordinator who is a
designated animal control officer for the County or other knowledgeable person trained
in disaster response, animal care and animal rescue.
B. CITIES/TOWNSHIPS AND CiTY/TOWNSH[P EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTERS (EOCS)
Local governments, including the City of Cupertino, are the first point of contact for
residents needing help or services in an emergency. Local governments may have
limited capacity or resources to meet the needs of evacuating and sheltering animals in
a disaster. The City contracts day-to-day animal control services with San Jose Animal
Services. There is no commercial animal shelter in Cupertino.
City of Cupertino staff may also help provide mutual aid services to other cities, such as
communications, animal care resources or volunteer coordination, to assist with
countywide response efforts as their local resources permit. Cupertino Community
Emergency Response Team members are trained to assist this process.
The American Red Cross (ARC) may have a liaison in the City's Emergency Operations
Center (EOC) and will provide coordination with other responding agencies. The ARC
will work with the City Animal Care and Shelter Unit Leader to co -locate animal shelters
with human shelters as much as possible to minimize the added stress of separating
pets from their owners.
C. LOCAL ANIMAL CONTROL AGENCIES, SHELTERS AND ANIMAL HOSPITALS
In Santa Clara County, there are a variety of government, non-profit and private animal
shelters and animal care facilities. Many of these groups participate in the county level
Animals in Disaster Committee.
D. AMERICAN RED CROSS
The American Red Cross (ARC) provides shelter and mass care services to human
residents throughout Santa Clara County. The ARC partners with local government to
support their shelter responsibilities. Initially in a disaster, some human shelters in
Cupertino may be opened by the ARC and some may be opened by city staff and then
turned over to the ARC as additional resources at the ARC become available to help
with the local response.
The University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANK) and
the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) provide guidelines for disaster
preparedness for the care and rescue of animals. They also operate local networks that
serve as preparedness and response resources to local OAs. The CVMA Disaster
Response Program consists of a network of veterinary professionals who are prepared
to provide veterinary care for rescue, evacuation, treatment and shelter of animals.
B. COMMUNITY -BASED ORGANIZATIONS (CBOS)
A list of organizations that offer services and resources for the protection and well-being
of animals are listed in Attachment J. The list includes descriptions and contact
information. A number of these organizations coordinate or operate volunteer networks
that may be available to assist local disaster efforts. The City of Cupertino will work with
these organizations as the nature of the emergency permits. The document also
includes blank spaces for additional local resources.
These organizations include:
• Cat Fanciers' Association -- a nonprofit organization with a disaster network that will
assist communities set up auxiliary shelters for animals not allowed in human
shelters and assist with animal rescue efforts.
• Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) — operated by the United Animal
Nations. Shelters and cares for animals displaced by disasters.
• HSUS Animal Rescue Team — operated by the Humane Society of the United
States. Responds to disasters and assists in animal rescue operations.
• Noah's Wish — an animal welfare organization dedicated exclusively to rescuing and
sheltering animals in disasters.
• Red Star Animal Emergency Services operated by the American Humane Society
to help communities prepare for disasters and to assist in disaster response. This
includes assessing animal needs, caring for injured animals; reuniting animals with
family, ensuring animal shelters are co -located with human shelters, and distributing
pet food and supplies.
• UC Davis Veterinary Emergency Response Team — provides emergency animal
rescue services.
C. SUPPLIERS AND VENDORS
See the Lists of Local Suppliers and Vendors in Attachments E and F.
D. MOBILE ANIMAL SHELTER TRAILERS
The County OES has four mobile animal shelter trailers, stocked with emergency animal
shelter supplies, that may be deployed in support of local operations throughout the
county. The allocation and deployment of this resource will be determined by the county
and coordinated by the Operational Area.
V. RESPONSE STRATEGIES
A. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS
The City of Cupertino recognizes the critical importance of coordinating animal
evacuation and shelter services during the response to an emergency or disaster. When
the EOC is activated, the Animal Care and Shelter function will be activated as
necessary in any emergency for the City itself, or in support of other local jurisdictions.
The Animal Care and Shelter Unit Leader will serve as the single point of contact on all
animal issues in the City's sphere of influence.
The City of Cupertino and its Animals Care and Shelter Unit Leader will employ one or
more of the following strategies in its response to meet the needs of animals and the
broader community in disaster:
• Coordinate resources within the city`s sphere of influence
• Once resource needs cannot be met with resources within the City, coordinate
requests for resources outside of the city throughout the County Operational Area
• Assess the status of animal shelter and establishing locations needed for additional
shelter in coordination with the Care & Shelter Branch Supervisor in the EOC
• Coordinate the deployment of requested resources
• Determine and coordinate the need for veterinary services
• Work with the Public Information Officer (P10) to disseminate information to the public
regarding the evacuation and care of animals
• Assist with identification of vendors for procurement of animal supplies with the
Logistics Section in the EOC (see Attachments E. and F)
B. ACTIVATION
This Annex may be activated by any of the following representatives:
• City Manager or designee
• Operations Section of the EOC
• Animal Shelter Coordinator or Designee (City or County EOC)
• Office of Emergency Services (City)
C. PROTOCOLS FOR ANIMAL SHELTERS
1. Managing and Prioritizing Shelter Population and Evacuation
Animal shelters in the City of Cupertino will be established in accordance with protocols
and guidelines provided by the City of Cupertino Animals in Disaster Annex. Depending
on the damage, it may be necessary to evacuate animals to temporary shelters or other
interim locations, either within the City or outside its jurisdiction as emergency
conditions require. Animals should be moved (or removed) in an order that is in the best
interest of the animals, the public, and the shelter environment.
The following types of animals will be used to set the priorities for evacuating animals to
the City's temporary animal shelters:
1. Owned friendly dogs (non -aggressive dogs with known owners)
2. Owned friendly cats (non -aggressive cats with known owners).
3. Owned animals in the veterinary clinic. Animals currently in surgery or pre- or
post- operative care have the highest priority.
4. Stray friendly dogs (healthy dogs that are on stray hold and may be claimed by the
owner)
5. Stray friendly cats (healthy cats that are on stray hold and may be claimed by the
owner)
6. Injured friendly animals (injured animals that are on stray hold and may be claimed
by that owner)
7. Aggressive dogs and cats. These animals should be handled with care and only
by trained personnel.
8. Sick dogs and cats. These animals should be confined to an area separated from
other evacuated animals when possible.
9. Other species of domestic animals, including small domestic animals such as
rabbits, other pet rodents, reptiles, and amphibians.
10. Horses Horse owners are encouraged to make arrangements with Horseman's
Associations to assist with evacuation
11. Illegal pets Pets that are illegal in California, such as ferrets, should be the last of
the domestic animals to be sheltered.
2. Shelter Setup
After the decision to activate a temporary animal shelter has been made by the Director
of Emergency Services, the location is selected by the Care and Shelter Branch
Supervisor and the Animal Care and Shelter Unit Leader. They should then work
together to staff the shelter, supply it adequately, and notify the public and media that it
is available. The shelter Safety Officer should inspect the facility and its grounds for
safety issues. The Cupertino Animal Care and Shelter Unit Leader should make
assignments, or delegate to someone at the shelter site, to staff the site, create staffing
schedules, obtain the appropriate forms, and create a task list for setting up the shelter.
Guidelines in Attachment D address these shelter operations:
• Animal Admission
• Facility Safety and Security
• Animal Care
• Cleaning
• Feeding
• Animal Transportation
• Animal Documentation Guidelines
3. Euthanasia Priorities
If animals are arriving at a shelter faster than they can be transferred to other facilities,
some animals may need to be euthanized. A priority list should be established, based
on the Hayden Bill (CA SB 1785, effective July 1, 1999), Attachment Animals should
always be scanned for a microchip before being euthanized. The decision to euthanize
must be managed by the County or by a local veterinarian.
4. Utilization of Volunteers
Animals in disaster usually bring forth an outpouring of volunteers who want to help.
Dealing with animals, particularly in stressful or chaotic situations such as disasters,
requires special skills. Volunteers who handle animals need to have experience or
training in this area. Several national, state, and local groups offer training programs. If
volunteers are going to be handling or working directly with animals, it is recommended
that they are pre -trained or pre -affiliated with a credible organization.
Volunteers should be trained ahead of time on:
• The ICS System
• Animal handling techniques
• Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certified and first —aid certified for pets
• Disease Control
• Care and Feeding Instructions
• Customer Service
• Critical Incident Stress Training
If unqualified or undocumented volunteers arrive at a shelter and cannot be utilized,
they should be directed to the nearest Emergency Volunteer Center (EVC). The EVC
will provide intake and referral to deploy the volunteer to another organization.
Additionally, if more volunteers are needed, they can be requested from the local EVC
through the Logistics Section of the City EOC.
Cupertino residents who want to volunteer with an animal shelter should send an e-mail
message to cupertinoanimalvolunteersCa7gmailcom.
VI. DEMOBILIZATION
When the Cupertino EOC Animal Care and Shelter Unit Leader has notified the EOC
Care and Shelter Branch Coordinator that a temporary animal shelter should be
deactivated, a number of key activities are required and are described below. The
process of demobilization is continually evaluated to reduce costs and minimize staffing
impacts.
A. SHELTER PROCEDURES
Guidelines in Attachment D address the following demobilization activities:
• Shelter closures
• Redistribution of supplies
• Removal and disposal of animal carcasses
• Unclaimed animals
• Final data collection
B. DEBRIEFING AND AFTER ACTION REPORT
After all animals have been returned to owners, transferred to a shelter, or transported,
and all emergency areas have been closed, it is important for key staff, volunteers, and
personnel from all EOC departments to meet for a debriefing on the incident response.
The following may be discussed:
• What was achieved?
• What went well?
• What went wrong?
• Were any innovations implemented?
• What changes need to be made to the plans?
• Were supplies sufficient?
• What job descriptions need to be altered?
CiEy o£ Cupe�rt no EOP . An nails yin Disaster A nne 17
C. CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS MANAGEMENT
Caring for humans and animals during a disaster can be stressful_ Animals, particularly,
may be distressed and/or difficult to control, injured, ill, die from injuries, or need to be
euthanized, all of which can take a toll on animal shelter staff and volunteers. In
addition, working under disaster -created conditions may be stressful for many. All
animal shelter workers will be offered the opportunity to participate in the critical incident
stress management sessions and processes provided for all City workers and
volunteers either during the disaster or following demobilization.
VII. ATTACHMENTS
A. SHELTER FORMS
CUP01 Animal Intake and Release Form [corresponds to SCC Forms Al, 18 & 19]
CUP02 Emergency Release Form [corresponds to SCC Form A2]
CUP03 A# and P# List [corresponds to SCC Form A161
CUP04 Lost Pet/Rescue Request Form [corresponds to SCC Form A31
CUP05 Rescue Release Form [corresponds to SCC Form A4]
CUP06 Animal Care Daily Log [corresponds to SCC Form A5]
CUP07 Medication Log [corresponds to SCC Form A6]
CUP08 Behavior Log [corresponds to SCC Form A7]
CUP09 Animal Count Log [corresponds to SCC Form A81
CUP10 Pre -Transport Release Form [corresponds to SCC Form Al I]
CUP11 Veterinary Care Agreement [if used; same as SCC Form A171
CUP12 Volunteer Position Descriptions [corresponds to SCC Form A13]
CUP13 Job Assignment List [corresponds to SCC Form Al2]
CUP14 Supply and Equipment List [corresponds to SCC Form A15]
CUP15 Cupertino ICS 211 B-1 Check -In List [for volunteers]
B. SUGGESTED EMERGENCY ANIMAL SHELTER LOCATIONS
C. SAMPLE EMERGENCY ANIMAL SHELTER GUIDELINES
D. EMERGENCY ANIMAL SHELTER PROCEDURES
E. ANIMAL FOOD SOURCES CHECKLIST AND SURVEY
F. ANIMAL CARE SUPPLIES SURVEY
G. MOU USED BY THE CITY OF CUPERTINO
H. RECOMMENDED ORGANIZATIONS FOR CUPERTINO MOOS
I. ANIMAL TRANSPORTATION RESOURCES
J. RESOURCES & CONTACTS LIST
K. AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES