Emergency Responders Train to Help Animals During Disasters

Submitted by Justin Kates, Director of Emergency Management for the City of Nashua:

On Saturday, Nashua’s Community Emergency Response Team trained to help animals during disasters at Nashua High School South. The New Hampshire Disaster Animal Response Team provided hands on training for volunteers on how to care for animals and shelter pets in emergencies.

After Hurricane Katrina, officials realized the need to shelter family pets during disasters, especially for events where a large number of residents are displaced.

"In the event Nashua opens a shelter, it will be pet friendly," said Justin Kates, Nashua's director of emergency management. "Training volunteers will increase our ability to operate and care for pets in a shelter."

More than 30 volunteers spent Saturday learning how set up and operate a pet shelter and create their own Disaster Animal Response Team. Volunteers learned skills such as pet handling, documentation, basic pet first aid and decontamination. The final test for volunteers was a drill involving real animals. Volunteers practiced setting up a shelter, processing real cats, dogs, and other small pets, and caring for the pets in the shelter.

The New Hampshire Disaster Animal Response Team is a component of VolunteerNH that provides a coordinated effort in the preparation, prevention, response, and recovery phases for any disasters or significant public emergencies involving animals. This in turn increases New Hampshire's capability for responding to animal emergencies on the local, regional, state, and federal levels. DART also helps communities like Nashua develop trained disaster animal response teams.

Nashua Community Emergency Response Team is a volunteer organization sponsored by the Office of Emergency Management. Volunteers are trained to assist during disasters and special events. Community members can learn more about the CERT program and how to join by visiting www.nashuanh.gov/CERT or contacting Kates at 603-589-3260.