Who Will Be Responsible for Taking Specific Actions? In an emergency, it’s critical that you and your staff know your roles and responsibilities. By assigning tasks to staff as part of the contingency planning process and establishing clear authority and lines of communication, you can streamline your response during an emergency. Determine who has the authority to make key decisions. Identify who is responsible for each task listed in your plan. Assign tasks to positions rather than people to ensure your plan remains accurate if staff change. Develop a contact list, distribute it to everyone involved in the plan, and keep it up to date. Decide which methods you’ll use to maintain communication in an emergency. Make sure everyone is properly trained in their responsibilities, knows where to find everything they will need, and understands how to use it. If staff change or roles within your staff change, make sure everyone is notified. How Will You Carry Out Your Plan? As you develop your contingency plan, consider: What equipment, materials, and means you’ll need to carry out the actions in your plan How you’ll obtain equipment during an emergency if it’s not on hand Whether staff must be certified or receive specialized training to use the equipment Also, if you plan to house animals at another facility, make sure the facility is willing and able to receive your animals. Putting It All Together The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has an optional form (APHIS Form 7093) that you can download and use when developing and documenting your contingency plan. APHIS’ Animal Care inspectors are also available to help you You can find information about contingency planning in the following sections of the Animal Welfare Act (9 CFR Part 2): Subpart C, § 2.38(i)(4); Subpart H, § 2.102(a)(4) and (b)(3); and Subpart I, § 2.134. Go to ecfr.gov and search “9 CFR 2.” For information on the contingency planning rule, visit www.aphis.usda.gov and search “contingency planning rule.” To contact APHIS’ Animal Care program, call (970) 494-7478 or email animalcare@usda.gov. develop or review plans, as needed. For More Information
Sheltering in Place If you must shelter in place, consider how you will: Access veterinary care Feed, water, and clean all animals Provide food, water, and housing for staff Maintain adequate environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, ventilation, lighting) Temporarily identify animals in the event of an escape Keep records accessible Evacuating If you must evacuate, you’ll need to decide not only where you will relocate animals, but also how you will: Transport animals, including types and quantities of vehicle(s), equipment, and crates needed Care for animals during transport and at the alternate location(s) (e.g., food, water, cleaning) Access veterinary care Ensure adequate environmental conditions during transport and at alternate location(s) Care for staff during transport and at alternate location(s) Temporarily identify animals in the event of an escape Move records to the alternate location(s) Animal Escapes As you think through different scenarios, consider how you will prevent and respond to potential animal escapes during an emergency, which can become their own emergency. Facilities with dangerous animals should contact local public safety and emergency management officials to discuss and document plans regarding animal darting, use of secondary barriers, human and animal safety protocols, and capturing escaped animals.
www.aphis.usda.gov/animal-welfare
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