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As 2005 comes to a close, SART
looks back on a resplendent year - the first training events
were held in north, central, and south Florida … several
new organizations and agencies partnered with existing agencies
to support SART … the hurricane season exhausted the 21
given names and moved into the Greek alphabet … the SART
Advisory Board was installed to help guide the organization …
lesson plans and participant workbooks were launched on the Web
… a monthly newsletter began … dozens of people signed
up as SART members (to date we are just short of 300 members!).
As we look back professionally
and personally, we need to all take the time to pat ourselves
on the back for a job well done. A lot of effort from many people
and agencies contributed to this year's successes - thank you
to everyone! With continued help, next year will be even better.
Please accept our best wishes
for a happy holiday season. See you in the new year!
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Disaster Preparedness
for Veterinary Practices
Veterinary practices are critically
important to any community after a disaster. Their availability
to continue operations, even at a reduced schedule, is important.
The good news is that through planning and preparation activities,
anyone's practice can effectively respond to a disaster that
affects it.
The American Veterinary Medical
Association (AVMA) has a Disaster Preparedness and Response Guide
which instructs the reader on planning and preparedness activities
related to the practice's structure and records, disaster resources
that are available, sample forms, and animal handling tips, in
addition to several other areas. The guide may be purchased for
$50 to $100 (AVMA member versus nonmember prices) or, alternatively,
may be downloaded from <http://www.avma.org/disaster/responseguide/responseguide_toc.asp>.
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PERI Small Entity Scholarship
Program
The Public Entity Risk Institute
(PERI) will award $1,000 scholarships to up to 40 individuals
to attend the Public Risk Management Association (PRIMA) Annual
Conference and Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, June 11-14, 2006. The
conference will bring together employees and local officials,
vendors, and suppliers interested in improving risk management
in the public sector.
PERI's Small Entity Scholarship
Program provides financial assistance to help staff and officials
of small public jurisdictions and community nonprofit organizations
attend the PRIMA conference. Scholarship recipients will receive
$1,000 that can be used for any conference expense (air, hotel,
registration, meals, etc.). The program is open to employees
and elected officials of local governments and schools and staff
and board members of a small community of nonprofit organizations.
Only one individual per organization
may receive a scholarship in a single year. Eligibility is based
on the size or operating budget of the organization and the scope
of the applicant's risk management responsibilities. Applications
must be postmarked no later than February 24, 2006, and sent
via mail, e-mail, or fax. Applications should be sent to Small
Entity Scholarship Program, Attention: Audre
Hoffman, PERI, 11350 Random Hills Road, Suite 210, Fairfax, VA
22030; fax: (703) 352-6339; e-mail: <ahoffman@riskinstitute.org>.
For eligibility guidelines and application procedures, visit
<http://www.riskinstitute.org/test.php?pid=news&tid=1559>.
-- As reported in Disaster
Research, 441, Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado,
Boulder
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Hurricane Season 2005
Tops the Charts
On November 29, one day before
the end of hurricane season, and three days before Tropical Storm
Epsilon strengthened into 2005's 14th hurricane in the Atlantic
Ocean (only the fifth December hurricane recorded in more than
120 years), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association
(NOAA) released the storm stats for 2005 and predicted additional
active hurricane seasons in the years to come. According to NOAA,
the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the busiest on record.
Breaking records that stood for decades, the season was the first
to see 26 named storms, 13 hurricanes (excluding Epsilon), 3
category 5 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes (category 3 or
higher) hitting the United States.
NOAA scientists had predicted
that 2005 would be an extremely active hurricane season, forecasting
near-record activity in an early August report. The 26 named
storms topped the forecast range of 18 to 21, the 13 hurricanes
inched above the forecast of 9 to 11 and the 7 major hurricanes
fell within the forecast range of 5 to 7. Five hurricanes (Dennis,
Katrina, Ophelia, Rita, and Wilma) and three tropical storms
(Arlene, Cindy, and Tammy) directly affected the United States.
Letters of the Greek alphabet
were used to name storms for the first time since storms began
acquiring names in 1953, as Hurricane Wilma exhausted the original
list of 21 names. Tropical Storm Alpha and Hurricane Beta hit
the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, respectively. Tropical
Storm Gamma brought deadly flooding to parts of Central America.
Tropical Storm Delta largely stayed over open water then moved
across the Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa.
Tropical Storm Epsilon formed on the next to last day of the
Atlantic hurricane season over the central Atlantic Ocean and
gained hurricane strength days later.
The Atlantic Basin is in the
active phase of a multidecadal cycle in which optimal conditions
in the ocean and atmosphere, including warmer-than-average sea
surface temperatures and low wind shear, enhance hurricane activity.
This increase in the number and intensity of tropical storms
and hurricanes can span multiple decades (approximately 20 to
30 years). NOAA will make its official 2006 season forecast in
May, prior to the June 1 start to the season and urges hurricane-prone
residents to take proactive measures now.
Read the press release, download
graphic and audio files from the news conference, or link to
additional information, including additional noteworthy records
of the 2005 season, at <http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2540.htm>.
-- As reported in Disaster Research, 442, Natural Hazards Center,
University of Colorado, Boulder
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First SART Advisory
Board Meeting Held
On November 16, 2005 the first
Advisory Board meeting was held in Gainesville at the Farm Bureau
Building. At this meeting, the thirty board members were officially
announced and installed. Members represent each of the partner
agencies.
The official business of the
meeting included presentations by various project representatives
to provide updates on several projects - member recruitment,
Web site changes, partner agency information lists for the Web
site, and training material progress. New business items, in
addition to the installation of the board, covered the newsletter,
county SART development committee progress, VETS progress, and
2005 hurricane responses.
The meeting adjourned having
successfully attended to each agenda item. The next meeting for
the Advisory Board is tentatively set for January, 2006.
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Pilot Starter Packs
Mailed Out
The Starter Packs for the county
SART pilot counties were mailed out during the first week in
December.
The pilot program participants,
officially known as the County SART Development Committee, were
joined by two other counties as a result of the Advisory Board
meeting. Welcome Hernando and Hillsborough Counties!! The pilot
counties now total 10.
If you live in Santa Rosa,
Jackson, Bradford, Gilchrist, Marion, Hernando, Pinellas, Hillsborough,
Okeechobee, or Collier County, and want to be kept abreast of
county SART activities please email us at <SARTNewsEditor-L@lists.ifas.ufl.edu>.
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FY 2006 PDM Grant Applications
Now Being Accepted
The application period for
the Federal Emergency Management Agency's
(FEMA) Predisaster Mitigation (PDM) program for fiscal year (FY)
2006 is open as of November 21, 2005. The deadline for FY 2006
PDM grant applications to be submitted to FEMA is 11:59:59 p.m.
Eastern Standard Time on March 3, 2006.
The PDM program provides funds
to states, territories, Indian tribal governments, and communities
for hazard mitigation planning and the implementation of mitigation
projects prior to a disaster event. Funding these plans and projects
reduces overall risks to the population and structures, while
also reducing reliance on funding from actual disaster declarations.
PDM grants are awarded on a competitive basis and without reference
to state allocations, quotas, or other formula-based allocation(s)
of funds. Congress has appropriated $50 million for competitive
grants, technical assistance, and program support for the FY
2006 PDM program.
Availability of PDM funds is
dependent upon congressional reauthorization of the program,
expected by December 31, 2005. The deadline for having a FEMA-approved
mitigation plan to be eligible to receive an FY 2006 PDM program
project grant is April 14, 2006.
Applicants must use the electronic
grants (eGrants) management system at <http://portal.fema.gov/>
to submit a PDM grant application. The FY
2006 PDM Program Guidance documents provide information and guidance
on implementing the PDM program in FY 2006, including program
requirements, eligibility, and grants management. These guidance
documents may be downloaded at <http://www.fema.gov/fima/pdm.shtm>.
-- As reported in Disaster
Research, 442, Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado,
Boulder
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EMAC Post-Deployment
Survey
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
resulted in the largest deployment of mutual aid through the
Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) in its history.
Civilian personnel from all disciplines and National
Guard troops were deployed in unprecedented numbers. As part
of the after action review process, EMAC is seeking feedback
from anyone who was deployed via the compact.
The EMAC post-deployment survey
is available to all personnel from all disciplines (civil and
National Guard) deployed for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. To
register and complete the survey, visit <http://www.emacweb.org/>.
-- As reported in Disaster
Research, 442, Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado,
Boulder
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Holiday Fun Fact
There are about 500,000 acres
in production for growing Christmas trees in the U.S. Each acre
provides the daily oxygen requirements of 18 people.
To find out more about Christmas
tree production, visit the National Christmas Tree Association
Web site at <www.christmastree.org>.
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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!The Twelve Days of
Christmas -- Preparing Families for Disaster
A
recent e-mail from the American Red Cross reminds us that disaster
preparations can start during the holiday season. For tips on
stocking stuffers for the "12 Days of Christmas," see
<www.tallytown.com/redcross/tdoc.html>.
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The First Day of Christmas |
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