Rescued Pet Disaster Shelter

PET DISASTER PLAN – Animals Depend On Us, Care Enough To Plan

If you evacuate your home, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PETS BEHIND! Pets most likely cannot survive on their own; and if by some remote chance they do, you may not be able to find them when you return.

Attached is a PDF with everything you need to know to plan! Download it HERE

Plan for Pet Disaster Needs

• Identifying shelter. For public health reasons, many emergency shelters cannot accept pets. Find out which motels and hotels in the area you plan to evacuate to allow pets — well in advance of needing them. There are also a number of guides that list hotels/motels that permit pets and could serve as a starting point. Include your local animal shelter’s number in your list of emergency numbers — they might be able to provide information concerning pets during a disaster.
• Take pet food, bottled water, medications, veterinary records, cat litter/pan, can opener, food dishes, first aid kit and other supplies with you in case they’re not available later. While the sun is still shining, consider packing a “pet survival” kit which could be easily deployed if disaster hits.
• Make sure identification tags are up to date and securely fastened to your pet’s collar. If possible, attach the address and/or phone number of your evacuation site. If your pet gets lost, his tag is his ticket home. Make sure you have a current photo of your pet for identification purposes.
• Make sure you have a secure pet carrier, leash or harness for your pet so that if he panics, he can’t escape.

Prepare to Shelter Your Pet

• Call your local emergency management office, animal shelter, or animal control office to get advice and information.
• If you are unable to return to your home right away, you may need to board your pet. Find out where pet boarding facilities are located. Be sure to research some outside your local area in case local facilities close.
• Most boarding kennels, veterinarians and animal shelters will need your pet’s medical records to make sure all vaccinations are current. Include copies in your “pet survival” kit along with a photo of your pet.

NOTE: Some animal shelters will provide temporary foster care for owned pets in times of disaster, but this should be considered only as a last resort.

• If you have no alternative but to leave your pet at home, there are some precautions you must take, but remember that leaving your pet at home alone can place your animal in great danger! Confine your pet to a safe area inside — NEVER leave your pet chained outside! Leave them loose inside your home with food and plenty of water.  Remove the toilet tank lid, raise the seat and brace the bathroom door open so they can drink. Place a notice outside in a visible area, advising what pets are in the house and where they are located. Provide a phone number where you or a contact can be reached as well as the name and number of your vet.

During a Disaster

• Bring your pets inside immediately.
• Have newspapers on hand for sanitary purposes. Feed the animals moist or canned food so they will need less water to drink.
• Animals have instincts about severe weather changes and will often isolate themselves if they are afraid. Bringing them inside early can stop them from running away. Never leave a pet outside or tied up during a storm.
• Separate dogs and cats. Even if your dogs and cats normally get along, the anxiety of an emergency situation can cause pets to act irrationally. Keep small pets away from cats and dogs.
• In an emergency, you may have to take your birds with you. Talk with your veterinarian or local pet store about special food dispensers that regulate the amount of food a bird is given. Make sure that the bird is caged and the cage is covered by a thin cloth or sheet to provide security and filtered light.

After a Disaster

• If after a disaster you have to leave town, take your pets with you. Pets are unlikely to survive on their own.
• In the first few days after the disaster, leash your pets when they go outside. Always maintain close contact. Familiar scents and landmarks may be altered and your pet may become confused and lost. Also, snakes and other dangerous animals may be brought into the area with flood areas. Downed power lines are a hazard.
• The behavior of your pets may change after an emergency. Normally quiet and friendly pets may become aggressive or defensive. Watch animals closely. Leash dogs and place them in a fenced yard with access to shelter and water.

Disaster Supplies

Pet Food (preferably moist canned food so your pets requires less water)

Water

Pet carrier

Leash easily accessible (if appropriate)

Pet medication

Veterinary records

Toys for your pet (or other comfort item)

Sanitary items (to clean up after your pet)

For more information or tips on how to prepare for your pet or specific information on equestrian or other livestock animals, contact your local animal control and regulation or local SPCA.

Humane Society of the United States:  http://www.hsus.org/

Homeland Advisory Groups Emergency Communications Case – For Agencies and Businesses

Many clients ask us for our Emergency Communication Cases to use as a field deployable solution.  What many of our clients overlook is the associated Emergency Communications Planning & Training that is vital to get the maximum value from their cases.

Understanding how to properly operate, speak and use our radios is a must to mitigate any confusion when in the heat of a deployment.  The most advance radio is worthless if the user is not familiar with basic programming and functions used to operate the radios.

Homeland Advisory Group offers radio operation training and emergency communications plans. with each Emergency Communications case we sell.

The 2012 International Fire Code requires business with restricted entrance control or gated facilities to install a key box to allow emergency services access to their property in an emergency.  KNOX-BOX® Rapid Entry Systems have set the standard since 1975 and is approved by over 11,500 departments nationwide.  This is why Homeland Advisory Group trusts and installs KNOX-BOX® products for all our clients.

How It Works

KNOX-BOX® identifies the responding agency for your jurisdiction and keys your box to match that departments KNOX MASTER key.  The only person with access to your box is the responding agency.  During installation, your building entrance codes, cards, and keys are placed inside the box and a department representative locks the box on site.  In the event of an emergency, the responding department will have the KNOX key to open your box and access your facility.  This improves response time and prevents expensive property damage.

Below are some sample installation photos and the excerpt from the International Fire Code

506.1 Where required. Where access to or within a structure
or an area is restricted because of secured openings or where
immediate access is necessary for life-saving or fire-fighting
purposes, the fire code official is authorized to require a key
box to be installed in an approved location. The key box shall
be of an approved type and shall contain keys to gain necessary
access as required by the fire code official.

506.1.1 Locks. An approved lock shall be installed on gates
or similar barriers when required by the fire code official.
506.2 Key box maintenance. The operator of the building
shall immediately notify the fire code official and provide the
new key when a lock is changed or rekeyed. The key to such
lock shall be secured in the key box.

Homeland Advisory Group proudly sponsored the production of a documentary film that followed the journey of a hand full of Korean War Vets as they returned to Korea for the 60th anniversary of the war.

This is the Trailer of the documentary.

CPR/First-Aid/AED Certification

One of Homeland Advisory Groups instructors stands aside and plays a scenario video from the American Heart Association for the clients Emergency Response Team (trained and developed by Homeland Advisory Group) during their Heartsaver CPR/First-Aid/AED certification.

Homeland Advisory Group offers the Next Generation American Hearth Association CPR/First-Aid/AED Heartsaver Training.  Our First Aid, CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and AED (automated external defibrillator) training meets the needs of workplace responders, school staffs, professional responders and healthcare providers, as well as the general public.  Our classes are held on-site or at one of our training facilities.  The course lasts 3 hours and is fully hands-on.

CPR/First-Aid/AED Class Training Los Angeles & Orange County

Homeland Advisory Group now offers full service American Hearth Association CPR/First-Aid/AED Training.  Our First Aid, CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and AED (automated external defibrillator) training meets the needs of workplace responders, school staffs, professional responders and healthcare providers, as well as the general public.  Our classes are only 3 hours and fully hands-on.

Homeland Advisory Group Knox-Box Installation

Homeland Advisory Group only uses Knox-Box rapid entry systems for our clients.

As a professional courtesy, we provide Knox-Box rapid entry system installation service for a flat $100 fee anywhere in Los Angeles County.

Rescued Pet Disaster Shelter

Pamala M. had some great insight into pet preparedness in response to our Saving Pets During a Disaster post.  We decided to feature her tips in her own post:

Pamala M. currently works with rescues and animal non-profits in the Dallas, TX area. She has provided support for wildfire/ flooding operations for the American Red Cross in West Texas, and has supported recovery efforts for Hurricanes Andrew, Katrina, Rita, and Ike.

Washington Monument Tilting

Reports say the Washington Monument may be tilting after the 5.9 Virgina Earthquake

UPDATE: Megyn Kelly just shared word that a D.C. police officer told a Fox News producer that there is concern that the Washington Monument may tilting following a 5.9 magnitude earthquake.

UPDATE: Seismologist John Rundle joined Kelly on her show and confirmed that the Washington Monument could very well be tilting as a result of the earthquake and the structure should be checked out.

Two nuclear reactors have reportedly been taken off line near the epicenter of the earthquake.

Virgina Earthquake Intensity

A 6.0 magnitude earthquake centered near Mineral, Va., rocked the mid-Atlantic states and was felt as far north at Manhattan and as far south as North Carolina.

This is a good reminder that earthquakes can strike throughout the entire USA, not just the West Coast.  Its important for all large buildings and facilities to have an earthquake section of their emergency & evacuation plan.

It’s reported that that JFK airport has been shut down.  That is ludicrous. There has been no loss of communications or infrastructure and the associated losses for an avoidable airport shutdown are enormous.  By having a comprehensive emergency response plan with simple evacuation/shutdown decision triggers can save hundreds of thousands of dollars.