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Hurricanes. Wildfires. It is
already shaping up to be an interesting year for Florida in terms
of disasters.
At the same time that some
Florida communities are recovering from recent wildfires, we
are faced with the start of hurricane season on June 1. Before
then, there is Hurricane
Preparedness Week and the start of the 2006 sales tax holiday
for hurricane supplies (read on for more information on the holiday).
Take inventory of what is still usable in your disaster kits
and resupply as needed. Replace out-dated and nonworking items.
Purchase needed supplies. Store the items in an easy-to-access
location in labeled, waterproof containers.
And make a kit for each of
your animals! Suggested items for these kits can be found on
the HSUS
and EARS
Web sites.
Working on your preparedness
plans now will prevent you from wondering what to do in the face
of an emergency.
If you have any tips or resources
you would like to share, send them our way!
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2006 Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday
Governor Jeb Bush recently
signed legislation authorizing Florida's second annual 12-day
sales tax holiday for hurricane preparedness. The Hurricane Preparedness
Sales Tax Holiday is an important component of Governor Bush's
comprehensive plan to instill a 'culture of preparedness' in
Florida. The tax holiday begins on Saturday, May 21st and ends
on June 1, the first day of the 2006 Hurricane Season. The 12-day
holiday will save Floridians an estimated $41 million.
For more information on the
sales tax holiday and qualifying items, please visit the following
Governor
Bush Approves 2006 Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday 4/27/06
Tax
Information Publication from the Florida Department of Revenue
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EARS Workshops
a Success
On May 6th and 7th, about 150
people assembled to be trained as volunteers with the United
Animal Nations Emergency Animal Rescue Service (UAN-EARS), a
Florida SART partner agency. The 8-hour workshop was led by National
Director Kay Mayfield each day. EARS Southeast Region Director
and SART Advisory Board member, Raquel Aluisy, also led some
discussion with other EARS volunteers sharing their disaster
experiences from Hurricanes Charley and Katrina. During lunch,
up to three breakout sessions were conducted. Two of particular
note were the sessions covering SART and the Hillsborough county
SART unit called the Community of Hillsborough Animal and Agriculture
Response Team (CHAART) among others.
Thanks to all who attended
and made the event a success. And special thanks to the EARS
volunteers who are new SART members!
Some pictures taken during
the event are posted here.
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Several Agencies Represented at Plans Section Training
Over 25 people attended the
Plans Section Training held on May 8th in Gainesville. Participants
were there representing the Mississippi Board of Animal Health,
Mississippi State University, USDA, and the Divisions of Animal
Industry and Agriculture Environmental Services from FDACS.
The Planning Section is an
integral part of the incident command structure and the intent
of this training was to expose more people to the inner workings
of the section. Participants had the opportunity to ask questions
about forms utilized during a response, to practice filling out
the forms, and to network with other participants.
Photos from the event can be
viewed in the SART
Photo Gallery. A special thank you goes out to the Florida
Farm Bureau who allowed us the use of their classroom for the
day.
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Web Design
Team Member Accepts New Position
We may take it for granted
how items on the Florida SART Web site get updated, designed,
and eventually posted for all to experience. A few talented people
work on our Web site design and programming team led by Dr. Jiannong
Xin at the University of Florida. It is the members of this team
who make our site run.
Rina Olsen has announced that
she will be leaving us for a permanent position elsewhere at
the university. She has been working with SART for over a year
and a half, contributing her knowledge and sunny attitude on
every new project. We wish her the best of luck in her new job
and future endeavors.
Thank you Rina!
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Horse Trailer
Crash Database
In order to improve the safety
of horse trailers, an ongoing survey of trailer crash victims
is being conducted by USRider. Data collected by the survey is
being compiled into a database to analyze the factors that contribute
to trailer crashes. Results will be used to promote trailer safety
awareness in the equine community and lobby for trailer manufacturing
requirements, among others.
The downloadable PDF file can
be accessed from the USRider
Web page.
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Florida Animal Disaster Preparedness Day
Sunday, May 7, 2006 was declared
by Governor Jeb Bush to be Florida Animal Disaster Preparedness
Day. The resolution stated that Florida is extremely susceptible
to hurricanes of disastrous proportions, there is a high proportion
of senior residents that have pets, and that Florida has become
a national leader in planning for animal evacuation and sheltering.
"An estimated 52 percent of all Florida households include
animals, and the bonds between these human and animal families
are often strong [and] an estimated 25 percent of caregivers
refuse to evacuate without their pets, jeopardizing public safety
and hampering disaster relief efforts."
"Florida has become a
national leader in planning for animal evacuation and sheltering
during disasters. Floridians can continue to set a national example
by boldly including animals in their disaster plans." Subsequently,
although Floridians were requested to observe May 7th as the
day for preparing for animal needs, we should utilize the entire
month (and beyond!) "to recognize the important public safety
and individual mental health benefits of incorporating animals
into disaster plans" and improve our efforts.
Thanks go to Advisory Board
member Raquel Aluisy of UAN EARS for her work on submitting this
resolution to the Governor and tracking its progress through
signing!
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Members Only:
Advisory Board Meeting Minutes
A new members-only benefit
has been added! Minutes from the Advisory Board meetings are
now posted on the Members Area screen of the Web site under Member
Only Information. The March 8, 2006 minutes are currently available.
The Advisory Board meets quarterly
according to the schedule posted on the SART calendar. Dates
are subject to change in the event of an emergency. Look for
the minutes within three weeks from the completion of the meeting.
The next Advisory Board meeting
is June 7, 2006.
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Aquaculture's
Hurricane Technical Bulletin
The newest Technical Bulletin
produced by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services Division of Aqauculture is now available in time for
Hurricane Preparedness Week, May 21-27, 2006.
Aimed mainly at the aquaculture
community, there are also more general articles on Florida's
hurricane history and family and farm disaster planning relevant
to any animal or agricultural operation. A helpful listing of
telephone numbers for state and federal agencies is also included.
The bulletin can be accessed
by clicking here.
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The SART SENTINEL
Editor: Elizabeth Wang, SART Coordinator, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Animal Industry
Associate Editor: Gregory S. Christy, DVM, State ESF-17 Coordinator, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Animal Industry
The SART SENTINEL is an e-mail newsletter prepared monthly by Elizabeth Wang 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>.
If you have a story or photo that you would like to have considered for publication in The SART SENTINEL, contact the Editors at <SARTNewsEditor-L@lists.ifas.ufl.edu>.
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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! -- DHS Wants Kids to Get
Ready!
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The U.S. Department of
Homeland Security and the Advertising Council have launched "Ready
Kids," a family-friendly tool to help parents and teachers
educate children about emergencies. A new Web site features games
and puzzles as well as age-appropriate, step-by-step instructions
on what families can do to better prepare for emergencies and
the role kids can play in that effort.
Find out more about the program
and meet Rex, the mountain lion mascot, and his family at <http://www.ready.gov/kids>.
-- As reported in Disaster
Research, 446, Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado,
Boulder
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