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On the heels of the historic
formation of Tropical Storm Alpha and Hurricane Beta, this month's
Sentinel is following up on October's Fire Preparedness Week
by providing you practical information on wildfire and fire preparedness
within animal and agricultural operations. The resources provided
are quick reads which should get you thinking about the fire
hazards your homes and farms face. (Perhaps this will distract
some from wondering whether or not there will be a Hurricane
Gamma :o)) And speaking of hurricanes…
Recovery from Hurricane Wilma is ongoing in south Florida where
many agricultural operations were hard-hit by the storm. A summary
of the ESF-17 response to Wilma will be featured in December's
issue of the Sentinel, so hold tight for now!
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Be Firewise - Brush
Up on Wildfire Awareness
Hurricane season is almost at a close - but don't breathe a sigh of relief quite yet. There are still threats like fire that can strike at any time regardless of "season." Wildfires may strike at any time and for a myriad of reasons. Now is a good time to focus on your homestead and farm wildfire readiness.
The Florida
Division of Emergency Management's Wildfire Web page offers
a great starting place to learn more about Florida wildfires.
From definitions, assessment tools and agency links to fire effects
and homeowners preparedness information, this Web site is comprehensive
and informative.
The UF-IFAS Disaster Handbook
also contains two chapters specifically addressing residential
and farm fires, in addition to wildfires. Chapter 13 which focuses
on residential and farm fires is accessible at <http://disaster.ifas.ufl.edu/chap13fr.htm>.
Chapter 14 which addresses wildfires is accessible at <http://disaster.ifas.ufl.edu/chap14fr.htm>.
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Farm Fire Prevention
and Safety
Our farms and ranches are home
to many fire hazards that would normally not be found on a residential
home site. Chemicals, fertilizers, grain and specialized storage
areas for such items may complicate fires and/or encourage the
start of a fire.
Several fact sheets are available
on the National Ag Safety Database (NASD) to properly identify
and mitigate these hazards; the links are listed below. These
are just a start for assessing potential risk areas on your farm
or ranch. Be sure to take an outsider's perspective when conducting
your hazard analysis in order to identify items you may commonly
overlook.
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Making Your Horse Barn
Fire Safe
A barn fire is a disaster many
horse and large animal owners would prefer to avoid. In a practical
booklet for horse owners entitled Making Your Horse Barn Fire
Safe, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) offers
fire safety tips and considerations for horse barns. Although
intended for the equine audience, several of the tips, especially
with regards to responding a barn fire and constructing a fire-safe
barn, are applicable to other agricultural and animal operations.
Precautions for existing barns and resources for the products
and information discussed are included as well. The booklet can
be accessed at the following Web page: <http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/Horse-Barn-Fire-Publication.pdf>.
Additional information on farm
building fire resistance can be found in Joseph Zulovich's publication,
Improving Fire Resistance of Farm Buildings, previously
mentioned in the Farm Fire Prevention and Safety article.
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2006 National Hurricane
Meeting in Orlando
The 2006 National Hurricane
Meeting will be held April 10-14, 2006 at The Rosen Centre in
Orlando. The link below is to the brochure and registration form
for the meeting. Several special training sessions are being
conducted and enrollment in these training sessions is by reservation
only. Early registration for the meeting runs through February
10, 2006 at a cost of $300. The cost for any registrations after
February 10th is $350. April will be here soon enough, so start
planning your attendance now!
<http://www.hurricanemeeting.com/2006%20NHC%20Call%20for%20Papers.pdf>
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Hurricane Katrina and
LLIS.gov
In response to the recent Hurricane
Katrina disaster, LLIS.gov has created a Hurricane Katrina page
for members to access relevant disaster recovery lessons learned,
best practices, after-action reports, and other hurricane-related
documents. LLIS.gov users can submit comments, experiences, and
observations from Katrina that will assist in the development
of new lessons learned. In addition, users can post questions,
comments, and insights to a Katrina-specific message board.
Information on all phases of
the disaster, including response and recovery operations, and
all emergency response functions, such as search and rescue,
communications, and law enforcement operations, is encouraged.
Whether it is the receiving of displaced residents or the sending
of personnel and resources to the Gulf Coast, jurisdictions across
the nation have been affected by Hurricane Katrina, and LLIS.gov
would appreciate feedback on the disaster. LLIS.gov is also seeking
similar information about Hurricane Rita.
Membership to LLIS.gov is required
and open only to vetted emergency response providers and homeland
security officials. For more information and to register, visit
<http://www.llis.gov/>.
-- As reported in Disaster Research, 439, Natural Hazards Center,
University of Colorado, Boulder
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Call for Papers: 16th
World Conference on Disaster Management
The Canadian Centre for Emergency
Preparedness is calling for presentations for the 16th World
Conference on Disaster Management, which will be held in Toronto,
Canada, June 18-21, 2006.
The conference's theme will
be "The Changing Face of Disaster Management - A Global
Perspective." Presentations should fall into one or more
of the following categories:
* Real events/lessons learned
* Emerging trends in disaster management
* The human element in disaster management
* Technical issues/threats
* Disaster management principles and practices
* Research and development
The conference will address
issues common to all aspects of disaster/emergency management.
The program includes speakers from many parts of the world and
provides opportunities for training and networking among those
in emergency planning and management, business continuity, emergency
response, disaster management research, emergency communications,
emergency health, risk management, security, and community planning.
Presentation abstracts must
be submitted by December 3, 2005. For more information, contact
Adrian Gordon at (905) 331-2552; e-mail:<agordon@ccep.ca>.
Information on submitting an abstract is available at <http://www.wcdm.org/>.
-- As reported in Disaster
Research, 439, Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado,
Boulder
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Got a Little Artist
in the Family? -- 2006 Hazardous Weather Awareness Poster Contest
Current fourth and fifth-graders
are encouraged to enter into the 2006 Hazardous Weather Awareness
Week poster contest. The top poster from each school district
will be displayed in the Rotunda of the State Capitol during
Hazardous Weather Awareness Week, February 12-18, 2006. Prizes
include various savings bond denominations and NOAA weather radios;
winners are notified by mail and all participants receive a certificate
of recognition. Submissions must be postmarked on or before February
6, 2006 and received no later than February 8, 2006. For poster
specifications, submission guidelines and additional information
see the HWAW Poster Contest Web page at <http://www.tallytown.com/redcross/hwaw.html>.
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Emergency "Bridge
Loans" Available for Small Businesses Severely Impacted
by Wilma
On November 2, 2005, Governor
Bush activated the Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program
in response to the impacts created by Hurricane Wilma. The program's
short-term, interest-free loans are "designed to provide
a source of expedient cash flow to businesses physically damaged
during a major catastrophe." For more information on the
program, eligibility requirements and county contacts please
see the news release at <http://www.florida-agriculture.com/news/11-02-05.htm>.
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The SART SENTINEL
Editor: Gregory S. Christy, DVM, State ESF-17 Coordinator, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Animal Industry
Associate editor: Elizabeth A. Wang, UF/IFAS, University of Florida
The SART SENTINEL is an e-mail newsletter prepared monthly by Dr. Gregory S. Christy and the staff of the Florida State Agricultural Response Team. Past issues of the Sentinel are archived on the Florida SART Web Site: <www.flsart.org>.
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Disaster Links
For additional information on agriculture, animals, and disaster, visit:
Florida SART Home Page: <www.flsart.org>
UF/IFAS Disaster Handbook: <http://disaster.ifas.ufl.edu/>
Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN): <http://eden.lsu.edu/>
For a complete list of all SART participating agencies, visit the Florida SART Web site: <www.flsart.org>.
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Tip of the Month!
Determine what classes of fires
you may need to extinguish and acquire the appropriately rated
extinguisher. Acquire several extinguishers and keep them in
easily accessible locations.
CLASS A - Ordinary combustibles
like paper and wood
CLASS B - Flammable liquids
CLASS C - Electrical equipment
CLASS D - Combustible metals
CLASS K - Cooking oils and grease
For more information on choosing
the right fire extinguisher and testing your fire knowledge,
visit <http://www.fireextinguisher.com>. |
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