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A year many Texans will never forget:

Wildfire Response –2011. A year many Texans will never forget:

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A year many Texans will never forget:

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  1. Wildfire Response –2011 A year many Texans will never forget: Unprecedented drought coupled with high winds across the state resulted in a highly active wildfire season for the state of Texas. The National Weather Service claims 2011 was the driest year since rainfall records were kept in 1895. According to AgriLife Extension, agriculture losses due to the resulting wildfires exceeded $200 million. TAHC responders worked to support animal response activities in counties across the state starting in the “April” fires and continuing through the “Labor Day Fires.” • Totals Acres Lost in the Labor Day Fires: • Marion/Cass - 40K • Bastrop Complex – 35K • Waller/Montgomery/Grimes – 19k The view from TAHC Emergency Management Coordinator Amanda Bernhard’s backdoor

  2. “April Fires” in West Texas • Total Acres Lost as of May 2011 • Andrews – 96k • Brewster – 127k • Crane – 13k • Crockett – 31k • Ector – 7k • Irion – 11k • Jeff Davis – 277k • Pecos – 46k • Presidio – 21k • Terrell – 12K • Val Verde – 175k www.tahc.state.tx.us

  3. Texas Animal Health Commission • Coordinated the state’s Animal Response Team through a series of daily conference calls and daily Situation Reports to stakeholders • Animal Response Team • Animal Health Commission • AgriLife Extension • Texas Dept of Agriculture • TAMU College of Veterinary Medicine • Industry groups (TSCRA, ICA, Farm Bureau, others) • TVMA • USDA Animal Care and Veterinary Services TAHC and AgriLife personnel at the Bastrop Rodeo Arena (housed livestock supply point, animal shelter and pet food distribution)

  4. Texas Animal Health Commission • Staffed the State Operations Center • No activation of Austin Animal Response Coordination Center, most work occurred through regional offices • Deployed the Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team at the request of Bastrop County to assist with triage and stabilizing care of affected animals & to support search and rescue canines TAHC Inspector Danny Williamson

  5. Assess animal needs for rescue, water, feed or veterinary care • Locate injured, dead, and loose livestock –work with sheriff’s office • Reunite owners with missing livestock & escort to feed animals • Utilize TAHC database of Emergency Holding Facilities to help counties house displaced animals • Evaluate conditions at animal shelters/emergency holding facilities and veterinary clinics • (in cooperation with assessments by Texas A&M veterinary team in Bastrop) Texas Animal Health Commission Field Activities

  6. Texas Animal Health Commission Field Activities • Assist with carcass disposal - work with county officials, debris management and TCEQ • Assist AgriLife in operations at livestock supply points • Provide equipment – panels, corrals, trailers • Distribute info on resources, available grants, and indemnity options through USDA Farm Service Agency, TVMA, others • Advise county officials (with varying levels of Animal Issues Committee planning) using ICS to organize animal responders & troubleshoot any issues that arise

  7. In every emergency, there is much to be learned… • Time and again we are reminded of the importance of communication and efficient coordination. These fires were more geographically spread out and represented multiple localized responses – different challenges compared with a massive hurricane • Working directly with animal owners and livestock producers who had lost everything, except maybe their animals, was a heart-wrenching but extremely rewarding experience • We mustkeep pushing animal issues planning in the local communities. Having a written plan is not an end-point…it’s a start. There must be a comprehensive plan for who is in charge of particular functions, and the plan should be exercised to identify problems, and re-evaluated when new personnel join www.tahc.state.tx.us

  8. In every emergency, there is much to be learned… Many issues were the same as with almost any natural disaster response: • Carcass disposal • Veterinary care and support to local vets • Sheltering operations • Coordination across local-regional-state-federal lines and among small & large animal species lines • Credentialing of responders • Donations management After-action process still ongoing but have already instituted specific modifications to how our teams integrate with A&M VET when they are deployed • Identified gaps and redundancies so we can offer a coordinated response www.tahc.state.tx.us

  9. Bastrop Fire(s) Region 7 www.tahc.state.tx.us

  10. Bastrop Fire(s) Region 7 www.tahc.state.tx.us

  11. Bastrop Fire(s) Region 7 www.tahc.state.tx.us

  12. Bastrop Fire(s) Region 7 www.tahc.state.tx.us

  13. Bastrop Fire(s) Region 7 www.tahc.state.tx.us

  14. Bastrop Fire(s) Region 7 www.tahc.state.tx.us

  15. Bastrop Fire(s) Region 7 www.tahc.state.tx.us

  16. Region 4 Cass/Marion Counties

  17. Region 4 Wildfires www.tahc.state.tx.us

  18. Straw Fire survivor; Strawn ICP www.tahc.state.tx.us

  19. Rock House fire road sign www.tahc.state.tx.us

  20. Burned horse in Alpine; Disposal of Cattle in Andrews www.tahc.state.tx.us

  21. Website Maintained with Fire Response Updates www.tahc.state.tx.us

  22. Social Media Highly Utilized: Great Interaction and Increased Activity Faceboook Posts www.tahc.state.tx.us

  23. How to Mitigate the Damage: • Start or support an Animal Issues Committee in your county • The county judge is in charge of all disaster planning • Many county judges employ an Emergency Management Coordinator • Potential AIC leader and participants • Extension • Local Veterinarians • Local Producers • Resources to respond in your community • Local feed stores • Fair grounds www.tahc.state.tx.us

  24. Planning Resources: • TAHC offers resources and guidance to counties to develop AICs and Community Animal Response Plans • http://www.tahc.state.tx.us/emergency/localplanning.html • Animal Issues Committee Guidance Document • Animal Issues Committee Plan Template • Community Animal Response Plans for: • Carcass Disposal • Shelter • Evacuation • Preparing Livestock Brochure www.tahc.state.tx.us

  25. For help contact: Amanda Bernhard Emergency Management Coordinator Amanda.bernhard@tahc.state.tx.us 512-719-0792 Animal Issues Committee Planning Resources at: www.tahc.state.tx.us/emergency/localplanning.html www.tahc.state.tx.us

  26. Produced by the Texas Animal Health Commission “Because livestock & poultry health matters” www.tahc.state.tx.us 800-550-8242 Find us on Facebook & Twitter

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