Concept of Veterinary Operations



Emergency Program Strategic Plan



Legal authority -

The Department of Homeland Security has the authority to deploy Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams (VMAT) for delivery of healthcare to injured or abandoned animals and for performance of veterinary preventive medicine activities in the aftermath of significant disasters for which federal assistance has been requested by the affected state(s).



The National Response Plan is the mechanism by which the federal government mobilizes resources and conducts activities to augment state and local response efforts to save lives, protect public health, and protect property. The National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), part of the National Response Plan, was developed to provide supplemental medical care to victims of catastrophic disasters in the event state and local resources are overwhelmed and Federal assistance is required. Federal recognition of the need for animal care provided the framework for veterinary health professionals to be organized into VMAT which could respond to the needs of animals during a disaster, as part of NDMS, in the same way that Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT) provide medical aid to human casualties of disasters.

Scenarios -

As stated in the Executive Board approved AVMA Emergency Management Program Strategic Plan, the goal of the AVMA’s emergency management program is to encourage and foster veterinary leadership and guidance in local, state and federal efforts within the United States in preparation for: disasters and emergencies involving animals, animal and public health, and other veterinary issues, and envisions the following scenarios:

Scenario I envisions a major disaster in which the National Response Plan and NDMS are activated. This scenario allows for the integration of veterinary personnel into the NDMS. The lead federal agency for the response is the Department of Health and Human Services operating under the Department of Homeland Security. Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams will be deployed to areas that need animal or public health assistance. The purpose of the VMAT is to augment, not supplant, state and local veterinary resources until such resources are self-sufficient and responsive to the veterinary needs within the disaster area.

Scenario II envisions an animal disease emergency, such as a foreign animal disease outbreak, for which the response is under the direction of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will search the credentials of the VMAT for veterinarians and technicians who have the skills and experience needed to deal with the prevailing emergency. Selected individuals will be activated as temporary federal employees of the USDA and will be under the direct supervision and authority of the USDA during the deployment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

EMERGENCY PROGRAM STRATEGIC PLAN

GOAL

The goal of the AVMA’s Emergency Management Program is to encourage and foster veterinary leadership and guidance in local, state and federal efforts within the United States in preparation for: disasters and emergencies involving animals, animal and public health, and other veterinary issues.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this program is to advocate for appropriate support for all veterinary aspects of disaster and emergency situations within the United States.

RESPONSIBILITIES

This program is operated by the AVMA staff with oversight and input by the Committee on Disaster and Emergency Issues. The AVMA’s emergency preparedness staff is responsible for the compilation and distribution of educational materials, routine communication with membership and external customers and performance of all administrative actions. The Committee on Disaster and Emergency Issues is responsible for the creation of recommendations for consideration by the AVMA Executive Board concerning strategic guidance and fiscal and policy oversight.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS

PREVENTION

  1. • Provide educational materials on mitigation to practitioners
  2. • Educate emergency managers and state veterinary associations on appropriate plans and mitigation measures
  3. • In cooperation with animal industry, deliver biosecurity education to practitioners and materials for their clients

DETECTION

  1. • Provide education on Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) awareness and reporting protocols to membership
  2. • Support efforts nationally to enhance the food safety, zoonotic disease and animal disease surveillance systems

PREPAREDNESS

GENERAL

  1. • Support national coalitions of animal health emergency management stakeholders to provide a world-class animal emergency management system
  2. • Coordinate with the Unites States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to rapidly identify and communicate with practitioners willing to serve in animal emergency situations
  3. • Explore the opportunity for AVMA PLIT to establish disaster coverage
  4. • Assist Federal or State agencies in streamlining animal health resource utilization through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact or other mutual aid agreements
  5. • Assist Federal or State agencies in ensuring that animal health, food safety and zoonotic disease issues are included in the National Response Plan and state-level emergency operations plans

SECTION 2 THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION EMERGENCY PROGRAM STRATEGIC PLAN

  1. • Support a State and county-level infrastructure for response to incidents no matter the scope
  2. • Foster cooperation with human medical counterparts for all phases of the program
  3. • Represent the membership in national emergency management system development such as the National Animal Health Emergency Management System and other planning efforts
  4. • Continue to maintain and update the AVMA Disaster Preparedness Series
  5. • Support legislative efforts for government preparedness for animal emergencies and for funding of animal research relating to disasters

COMMUNICATION

  1. • Communicate proactively with other animal welfare stakeholders to coordinate resource allocation, and create appropriate memoranda of understanding regarding emergency response efforts
  2. • Disseminate information about the VMATs, National Animal Health Emergency Response Corps, State-level veterinary reserve corps, and other opportunities for veterinarians in the emergency response system
  3. • Anticipate public affairs requirements during emergencies by preparing fact sheets for likely scenarios, and coordinate their review by veterinary specialty organizations or academia

DISEASE OUTBREAKS

  1. • Support the development of mass euthanasia guidelines
  2. • Support the development of carcass disposal guidelines

VMAT SUPPORT

  1. • Assist in the recruitment, training, development, and oversight of the VMAT program
  2. • Work with National Disaster Management System (NDMS) to develop and modify policy for VMATs that defines their mission, organization, training requirements, and utilization
  3. • Explore with NDMS, the future of the VMAT program including which organization is best suited to provide what part of their oversight, their continued sponsorship through direct funding from AVMF/AVMA, and other funding opportunities that might be available

RESPONSE

  1. • Provide assessment assistance to the veterinary community and the local communities following a disaster
  2. • Guide States and other potential requesting organizations in VMAT request procedures and educate them about their capabilities
  3. • Support and encourage DHS in deployment of the VMATs
  4. • Assist DHS, USDA and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in communications with veterinarians during emergency response efforts
  5. • Provide educational material to private practitioners during an incident
  6. • Provide information through appropriate media to the public during a real or perceived incident

 THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION EMERGENCY PROGRAM STRATEGIC PLAN

RECOVERY

  1. • Assist in providing information to veterinarians in the state on status of recovery
  2. • Coordinate appropriate after action reviews, recommendations, and education on how to improve prevention, preparedness and response efforts