Animal Care Emergency Programs (ACEP)

Background

After Hurricane Katrina, Congress passed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act  and the Post-Katrina Emergency Response Act (PKEMRA) in response to public outcry about the safety and well-being of pet animals during disasters.

Roles and Responsibilities

In 2008, the National Response Framework (NRF) redefined Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) and added responsibilities for pets under the Federal ESF system. USDA-APHIS and other federal agencies provide assistance for emergency planning and response. While Federal statutes mandate that the Federal Emergency Response Agency (FEMA) has overall authority to support pet issues, additional Federal agencies, including USDA APHIS, have supporting roles defined under the NRF. FEMA and USDA APHIS look to AC to provide technical expertise in the management of pets in disasters.

2009 ACEP Activities

• Sponsors a monthly conference call for State programs, such as State Animal/Agricultural Response/Resource Team (SART) or veterinary medical reserve programs.
• Update to Animal Welfare Act: Contingency Plan
  • AC has proposed a new rule in the Animal Welfare Act to ensure all regulated facilities have a contingency plan in the event of power failures, road closures, or other emergencies and disasters. Information about the proposal can be found in the Federal Register.
• USDA-State Joint Meeting on Kennel Regulation, Kansas City, MO
  • ACEP presented information on contingency planning and how the proposed might impact regulated kennels.
• IS-400 AC Training, Raleigh, NC and Fort Collins, CO
  • ACEP Staff participated in training with other USDA units in the management of complex incidents
• Flooding in North Dakota
  • ACEP and AC field inspectors provided support to the State of North Dakota, ESF#11 and ESF#6.
• New Animal Care Emergency Programs Internship
  • We have established a new internship program for DVM students, graduate students in Public Health, and other highly motivated students. 
• National Hurricane Conference, Austin, TX
  • ACEP partnered with other agencies to present a day-long sessions on animals in disaster, including an update on ACEP.
• ESF11-Area Emergency Coordinators National Meeting, Riverdale, MD
  • ACEP participated in the 2-day conference and presented a program update.
• FEMA Individual Assistance Conference, Albuquerque, NM
  • ACEP will participate in a panel discussion about animals in disasters, along with National Animal Rescue and Sheltering Coalition (NARSC) and National Alliance for Animal and Agricultural Emergency Programs (NASAAEP).
• American Veterinary Medical Association National Meeting, Seattle, WA
  • ACEP will present a program update.
• New Madrid Seismic Zone Planning Workshop
  • ACEP participated in the 3 day planning sessions to prepare for the potential major earthquake event.
    

2008 ACEP Activities

• Sponsored a monthly conference call for State programs, such as State Animal/Agricultural Response/Resource Team (SART) or veterinary medical reserve programs.
• Response to Midwest Floods
  • AC responders reported to Iowa to assist with pet and service animal issues. We assisted in 3 locations: Johnson County Fairgrounds, Kirkwood College Animal Shelter, and Cedar Rapids Pet Shelter in Linn County.
• National Summit on Companion Animals Emergency Management, Baltimore, MD
  • AC funded the first meeting of its kind, including sponsoring travel costs for an attendee from every State. ACEP presented an introduction to Animal Care Emergency Programs.
• IS-300 AC Staff Training, Fort Collins, CO
  • About 35% of the AC technical staff met in Colorado to build a cadre of response volunteers.
• Response to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike
  • AC teams deployed to Louisiana and Texas to assist at Federal and State coordination locations as well as in the field. 
• American Veterinary Medical Association National Meeting, New Orleans, LA
  • ACEP presented a program update. 
• Pet Evacuation and Transport Exercise, Baton Rouge, LA
  • AC sponsored a pet evacuation and transport drill, and performed a field study on proposed evacuee registration processes, as well as transport suitability in refrigerated tractor trailers.

Upcoming Events

• ACEP is working on sponsoring upcoming exercises, including with the State of California and Southern Agriculture and Animal Disaster Response Alliance (SAADRA).
• National Summit on Companion Animals Emergency Management will hold is second annual meeting. ACEP plans to sponsor travel for a representative from each State and several Tribal organizations.

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