By Rita Thompson-Tinsley
The time to panic is certainly not during an emerging wildfire or a raging flood. The time to prepare for perilous times is now, with any emergency calls for pre-designed preparation. There are services in Yavapai County that do just that. They come complete with a comprehensive gameplan. Your job is to get on board and be informed.
Equine Emergency Evacuation of Yavapai County has spent years and infinite hours studying successful evacuation programs in other communities. They have taken the elements that are most effective in large animal evacuation groups in the west and put together a system that is carefully geared for success in Yavapai County situations.
The all-volunteer organization was designed to assist equine owners in the event of a wildfire, flood, and other emergencies. They can also perform technical rescue and emergency transport.
EEE is the only county 911 resource that maintains such a ranking because of their function. They coordinate with County Emergency Management and proper authorities in order to transport large animals out of evacuated areas.
EEE has 25 designated staging areas around Yavapai County that can be used as a base of operations near the site of the Incident Command during local emergencies. There is plenty of training required for the role that Yavapai County Equine Emergency Evacuation performs.
They maintain highly technical equipment that can be used in cases such as a downed horse or an equine in peril where it would need to be lifted out. This in turn demands plenty of training using the equipment during extensive drills, practicing the routine of different scenarios that would be encountered during a rescue mission.
For the benefit of our community, EEE also provides owner awareness programs and neighborhood training as well as incident preparation and planning material. There is a Checklist on their website that is truly vital. Included is #1 CODE RED: Sign up for the Sheriff’s “Ready, Set, Go” advisory system to receive warnings of possible incidences.
#4 PRACTICE LOADING YOUR ANIMALS. If you don’t regularly trailer out, you will darn sure want that horse or pony to hop into that trailer in case of emergency. Don’t wait. Practice now and regularly. And, #11 Have the EEE Emergency Hotline phone number handy. 833-922-9333.
The EEE mission is to provide the best possible outcomes for large animals affected by disasters in Yavapai County. Consider becoming a volunteer. Visit their website at EEEYC.org.
Another important acronym to remember is LASER. Large Animal Shelters & Emergency Readiness is another nonprofit organization that works in partnership with YC Emergency Management.
Their mission is to provide safe shelter for barn animals during evacuations in Yavapai County. Their vision is that every barn animal has a safe haven in disasters.
The types of animals they accept include horses (mares, gelding, stallions), miniature horses and ponies, mules and donkeys, goats, sheep, chickens, pigs, rabbits, llamas, and alpacas. Pretty much Old McDonald’s Farm, but they do not accept cattle or commercial herds.
At the shelters, they provide your animal with alfalfa and Bermuda hay as well as water. LASER does not take in your dog or cat, Animal Disaster Services provides care and shelter for household pets. You can visit them at AnimalDisasterServices.com.
LASER has three animal shelter sites that have been provided by three generous organizations:
1) The primary shelter site, by Yavapai County Board of Supervisors, is located at the old county fairgrounds off of Highway 89A in Prescott Valley.
2) Chino Valley Equestrian Association has provided horse stalls and small pens at their huge facility, Chino Valley Equestrian Park off Perkinsville Rd. and Old Home Manor.
3) Yavapai Humane Society will be providing available stall space at their Equine Center also in Chino Valley.
So, no matter where disaster strikes, there will always be a place for your barn animals to stay safe. And, if you love animals, consider becoming a LASER volunteer.
Visit the LASER website at Laser-Shelter.org.
SIDEBAR
HOW TO PREPARE FOR EVACUATION
(More details at EEEYC.org )
1) Get warnings of possible incidents in your area by signing up for the Sheriff’s “Ready, Set, Go” advisory system.
2) Review EEE’s “Disaster Planning Guidelines” and “Disaster Planning Worksheet” to see how they apply to your situation. .
3) Review the Checklists for you, your family, and your animals. Most first responders and EEE volunteers have a “Go Bag”. Do you?
4) If you have a trailer, make arrangements with a friend or acquaintance to take your animal(s) to their place in the event of an incident. Offer to do the same for them. Practice loading your animals so you know the procedure and how long it will take.
5) If you don’t have a trailer or you have more animals than trailer slots, talk to a neighbor or friend who can help you and be your “buddy”. Also be available to them when there is an incident and they are not at home.
6) Become part of an organized Yavapai County neighborhood group. EEE offers presentations to help: view our Awareness Programs page or email us at info@eeeyc.org.
7) Know in advance what you’re going to do with your animals and yourself. If you’re taking your animals to a commercial stable or a shelter, know the rules, procedures, and costs. Find out if the costs are the same during an evacuation event.
8) In wildfire season, have your trailer ready to be hooked up and keep your truck fueled up.
9) Give yourself plenty of time to evacuate. If you wait too long, traffic is likely to be difficult. The sheriff strongly recommends that horseowners, “Start self-evacuation at Get Set”.
10) Keep the EEE Emergency Hotline phone number at hand in the house and in the barn. Know what information you will be asked if you call for evacuation.
11) Do not call the EEE Emergency Hotline for non-evacuation situations: call 911 or your veterinarian.
