Disaster planning tool coming soon, brochure updated

Published on
information-circle This article is more than 3 years old

A new tool coming soon from the AVMA and American Veterinary Medical Foundation will allow veterinary practices to create a custom plan to prepare for disasters ranging from fires and floods to tornadoes and hurricanes. The AVMA and AVMF also have updated the “Saving the Whole Family” brochure to help animal owners prepare for disasters.

Many veterinary practices do not have a disaster plan. The AVMA Committee on Disaster and Emergency Issues has been developing the disaster planning tool to help practices stay in business and return to work quickly after a disaster.

"Saving the Whole Family" brochure coverAccording to the AVMA brochure “Disaster Preparedness for Veterinary Practices,” a practice’s disaster plan should cover the following: emergency relocation of animals, backup of medical records, continuity of operations, security, general emergency planning, fire prevention, and insurance and legal issues.

The CDEI will roll out the disaster planning tool during the AVMA Annual Convention, July 10-14 in Boston. On Saturday, the last two hours of the Disaster Preparedness subsection will provide an introduction to the tool. For a fee of $30, or $80 for veterinarians who are not AVMA members, convention attendees may sign up in advance for a half-day interactive lab on Sunday morning to begin creating their own disaster plan with the tool.

Organizers of the interactive lab would like participants to bring a laptop and, in advance, do some homework on what preparations their practice already has in place. Participants can refer to the “Disaster Preparedness for Veterinary Practices” brochure. Register here for the convention and interactive lab.

The AVMA and AVMF have made a number of updates to the “Saving the Whole Family” brochure for animal owners. The brochure now features a section on backyard poultry, notes sections, and a new look.

The brochure covers general disaster preparedness for animal owners, animal identification, animal transportation and housing, veterinary records, proof of ownership, emergency contacts, and evacuation essentials for various species—cats, dogs, equids, livestock, backyard poultry, other birds, reptiles, amphibians, and exotic companion mammals.

“Disaster Preparedness for Veterinary Practices” and “Saving the Whole Family” are available here for free download via the AVMA Store. The English and Spanish versions of “Saving the Whole Family” are available to order in print form via the same website or by calling (800) 248-2862, Ext. 6655.