Vol. 10, No. 1, January 2014 |
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2013 – A SART Year to Remember
Every year is filled with the hum of ordinary activity, but now and then a note rises above the din of the day and allows us to reflect on the issues, on our special challenges and our accomplishments. The editors hope that a glance back at the year that has just ended will reinforce our planning and practice, and help focus our energy level on the future. After all, we don't know exactly when SART's capability as a MAC will be called to action, but we know that it will be called.
January – Planning Meeting
The 2013 SART Planning Meeting held January 28 – January 30 at The Shores, Daytona Beach. Nearly 150 response professionals attended. "Why do we have these meetings?" asked the University of Florida's Dr. Joan Dusky, Associate Dean for Extension, IFAS. The Florida SART Co-Chair asked the question rhetorically and then provided an answer. "Because during an emergency is not the time to be introducing yourself, exchanging business cards and asking for favors. No single agency can respond to every emergency on its own. We must share our resources."
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Based on questions and discussions, interaction and feedback from participants, the 2013 meeting was a success. It followed three former state-wide planning meetings: 2007 in St. Petersburg Beach, 2009 in Cocoa Beach and 2011 in Altamonte Springs. (The 2015 Florida SART Planning Meeting is scheduled for January 12-14 at the Embassy Suites Hotel, Lake Buena Vista S., Kissimmee. The meeting will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Monday and end at Noon on Wednesday.)
February – Training Pays Off
Deputy 1st Class Matt Faulk of the Lee County Sheriff's Office Agricultural Crimes Unit sent the following story through John Haven, Director of the University of Florida College Veterinary Medicine. Deputy Faulk and his Lee County associates have benefited from technical training in handling large animals funded and directed by Florida SART. It is one of many instances of training that is successfully used in operational circumstances.
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"On Saturday February 9, Lee County Sheriff's Office Agricultural Crimes Unit Deputies Gary Clark and Matt Faulk responded to a call for assistance from a local rancher. The rancher said one of his cows was stuck in the mud in the Orange River. He had tried to rescue it himself but was unsuccessful. Deputies Clark and Faulk deployed the new livestock rescue trailer and utilized mechanical advantage rope systems as well as the rescue glide to pull the cow from the river."
March – FDACS DAI Deploys
On February 20, FDACS Division of Animal Industry (DAI) was notified that a horse in Ocala's "Horse Shows in the Sun" (HITS) had been referred to the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine and had tested positive for Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1), wild-type strain. DAI veterinarians responded immediately and five additional horses tested positive for EHV-1. The show ground was quarantined for 21 days and movement of horses was prohibited. In all, 15 premises and more than 1,000 horses were quarantined.
April – SARC Provides Training
The Florida State Animal Response Coalition (http://www.flsarc.org) was organized to provide a single, dynamic point of volunteer reference for small animal rescue and training volunteers for disaster situations. SARC has offered dozens of certified awareness courses in which hundreds of students have received the basics of shelter set-up. Classes are typically free to participants.
"Take the next step beyond sympathy and encouragement," says SARC's Melissa Forberg, "and become a Disaster Animal Responder." Kudos to SARC, its volunteer core and to the SART visionaries behind its formation.
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"Take the next step beyond sympathy and encouragement," says SARC's Melissa Forberg, "and become a Disaster Animal Responder." Kudos to SARC, its volunteer core and to the SART visionaries behind its formation.
May – Founding Co-Chair Retires
Following a 33-year career promoting the agricultural industry, Tim Manning has retired. Many in SART will recall Tim's continuous and energetic efforts on behalf of effective agricultural planning and response, including his promotion of the MAC concept in Florida's SART program. Raised on a cattle and timber ranch in Putnam County, Tim rose through the FSA ranks to become State Executive Director.
June – Andrea's Rains bring Mosquitoes
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Becoming a tropical storm on June 5, Andrea marked the fourth consecutive season with a named storm in the month of June, following Hurricane Alex in 2010, Tropical Storm Arlene in 2011 and Hurricane Chris and Tropical Storm Debby in 2012. This was over a month earlier than the 1966–2009 average date of the first named storm, July 9. Not only did Andrea cause extensive flooding in north Florida, but the mosquito population surged, causing Dale Dubberly, FDACS AES, and others to work many hours of overtime.
July – FAD Course
Yes, held at the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville, this clinic actually took place in mid-June … but we reported it in July. Organized by Dr. Kendra Stauffer, DVM, USDA/APHIS/VS and others, it attracted scores of veterinarians and responders from all levels of government. "Florida has over 4,200 accredited veterinarians (second behind California) but does more export/import certificates than any other state and is home to one of only three animal import centers," Dr. Stauffer said.
August – SARC Teaches in West Virginia
Florida SARC presented its DHS certified course "Emergency Animal Sheltering – Awareness Level" in West Virginia. It was the first time that SARC members, all of whom are volunteers, traveled to another state to present a training course. "We've had many queries since the training was accepted by FEMA, but this is the first where they actually got the grant money to host it," said Laura Bevan, SARC volunteer, SART member and Southern Region Director of HSUS.
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September – SART-Funded DHS-Certified Training Continues
Training in agroterrorism recognition and prevention, and other homeland security topics has continued in Florida despite personnel movement and irregular funding cycles. Former FDACS exec Art Johnstone is often in charge of formal instruction. SART, through FDACS, collaborates on program funding and scheduling with DHS; the Western Institute for Food Safety & Security, UC-Davis; the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium; the Regional Domestic Security Task Force; and UF-IFAS.
October – FWC Halts Illegal Exotics Sales
The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, a Florida SART partner, joined an international undercover effort to halt the capture, smuggling and international sale of protected and endangered wildlife. The effort, dubbed "Operation Wild Web," focused on Internet activities. More than 150 people – 33 of them in Florida – face federal and state charges after FWC and cooperating agencies disrupted online wildlife trafficking operations involving the pelts of leopards, tigers and jaguars; elephant ivory, live birds and endangered fish and snakes.
November – Training Continues
UF's College of Veterinary Medicine VETS Team continues training in animal technical rescue, swift water, confined space, structural collapse and rope rescue techniques. Core team members are trained and equipped for human technical rescue, and they work to adapt those skills, techniques and their equipment to improve animal technical rescue. Few primary animal technical rescue teams in the country are trained to such a level, says UF Veterinary Medicine's John Haven who has directed this effort since its inception.
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December – No Hurricanes
In spite of their destructive power, hurricanes play an important role in the Atlantic climatological system, distributing fresh water as rain over vast areas and stirring the ecological foundations of the Caribbean, Central America and SE United States. Yet no major hurricanes formed in the Atlantic basin in 2013. Although Mexico was hammered by eight storms – three from the Atlantic and five from the Pacific - the 2013 Atlantic hurricane season, which ended on Saturday, November 30, had the fewest number of hurricanes since 1982. NOAA will issue its 2014 Atlantic Hurricane Outlook in late May, prior to the start of the official season on June 1.
Types of Evidence
As a responder to an emergency situation, you may be alerted to watch for evidence. Following an overt act of terrorism, this is easy to understand. When a tornado touches down, there may be incidents of looting, or in the aftermath of a hurricane, one may be cautioned about gunfire or random acts of violence.
Here's what the "Criminal Investigation Handbook for Agroterrorism," developed jointly by FDA, USDA and the FBI, says about the types of evidence you may encounter:
- Eyewitness: I saw this happen. I smelled this.
- Hearsay: No, I didn't see it, but my [neighbor, mother, etc.] said such-and-such took place.
- Trace: Minute particles or chemicals which can be examined microscopically.
- Direct: Documents such as rental agreements, video recordings or computer files.
- Circumstantial: Material such as a fingerprint that relies on an inference to connect it to a conclusion of fact.
UF Schedules Bee College for March
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Bee College, the most extensive educational honey bee event in the state of Florida, is scheduled for Friday and Saturday March 7-8 at the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, 9505 Ocean Shore Blvd., St. Augustine, FL 32080.
The 7th annual UF Bee College is open to the public as well as to public agencies: beekeepers, naturalists, farmers, gardeners, county agents – “anyone interested in honey bees” says the online announcement at http://www.ufhoneybee.com. http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honeybee/extension/bee_college.shtml.
"This two-day event offers lectures in the morning and hands-on workshops in the afternoon. There are live honey bee colonies on site for open-hive demonstrations and protective gear available for everyone. This event won't leave you hungry either, we serve morning and afternoon snacks and lunch both days. A full banquet dinner on Friday evening and an ice cream social follow the Awards Ceremony. At the Awards Ceremony we announce students who have entered or advanced in the Master Beekeeper Program, Welsh Honey Judges, and the place winners and Best of Show in the UF Bee College Honey Show, as well as give out door prizes."