Veterinary response teams offer opportunities to volunteer
Many veterinary response teams have evolved in recent years, providing multiple avenues for veterinarians to volunteer in disaster situations and other emergencies.
Dr. Heather Case, AVMA coordinator for emergency preparedness and response, said the teams offer valuable structure and, often, training for volunteers. She noted that veterinarians can contribute special expertise and experience to response efforts.
"Successful emergency response requires quick thinking, flexibility, adaptability, and balancing several tasks at once," Dr. Case said. "The nature of veterinary practice parallels emergency response in many ways, uniquely qualifying veterinarians to actively participate in emergency preparedness and response activities."
For all federal agencies, the Emergency Support Functions provide the protocol for coordinating interagency support. Veterinarians can contribute to ESF 8, public health and medical services, and ESF 11, agriculture and natural resources. ESF 11 includes animal disease, food safety, and the well-being of household pets. The protocol for emergency response varies at the state and local levels.
Veterinary response teams operate at the national, state, and local levels. Groups differ in their oversight, structure, and deployment. The major teams or types of teams include the following.
AVMA Veterinary Medical Assistance Team
Historical deployment examples: 2006—Tropical Storm Ernesto; 2005—hurricanes Dennis, Katrina, Rita, Wilma
Oversight/support: AVMA and the American Veterinary Medical Foundation
Structure: The AVMA VMAT is a volunteer team of veterinarians and veterinary technicians. The team has its own equipment, and members participate in ongoing training.
The VMAT program historically worked with the federal government. This year, the AVMA Executive Board approved retooling the VMAT as a private program that will work with the states.
Deployment specifics: On the request of state authorities, self-sufficient volunteer teams of four to six VMAT members can deploy for 72 hours to provide early veterinary assessment or basic veterinary treatment in a disaster or another emergency. Members also can offer one- or two-day training sessions for state emergency responders.
Web site/contact: www.avma.org/disaster; Dr. Heather Case, hcaseavma [dot] org, (800) 248-2862, Ext. 6632
National Veterinary Response Team
Deployment example: 2005—Hurricane Rita in Texas
Oversight/support: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Disaster Medical System
Structure: The NVRT is a group of volunteers from veterinary medicine, public health, and biomedical research who serve as intermittent federal employees under the National Disaster Medical System. They train together and have equipment.
Deployment specifics: In emergencies requiring a federal response, the NVRT can provide veterinary services and assess the extent of disruption to animal and public health infrastructures.
Web site/contact: hhs.gov/aspr/opeo/ndms/teams; Cmdr. Meta Timmons, meta [dot] timmonshhs [dot] gov (meta[dot]timmons[at]hhs[dot]gov)
National Animal Health Emergency Response Corps
Deployment example: 2003—California outbreak of exotic Newcastle disease
Oversight/support: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services
Structure: NAHERC is a list of veterinary and animal health professionals who can work as individuals or teams in response to animal disease or other emergencies that affect animals.
Deployment specifics: Volunteers deploy within 72 hours and become temporary USDA-APHIS employees for assignments in the United States or abroad that generally last 21 to 30 days. Volunteers may decline assignments.
Web site/contact: www.aphis.usda.gov; Tom Cunningham, thomas [dot] m [dot] cunninghamaphis [dot] usda [dot] gov (thomas[dot]m[dot]cunningham[at]aphis[dot]usda[dot]gov), (301) 734-4933
Medical Reserve Corps
Deployment examples: 2008—Midwest flooding, hurricanes Gustav and Ike
Oversight/support: Oversight of MRC units by local government or organization, such as a health department or nonprofit organization, with support from the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General
Structure: MRC units include medical and public health professionals such as veterinarians, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, and epidemiologists—with other community members in support positions.
Deployment specifics: Volunteers not only prepare for and respond to emergencies but also promote health literacy throughout the year. MRC units supplement existing emergency and public health resources, and they can choose to support communities in need nationwide.
Web site: medicalreservecorps.gov
State or county animal response teams, state veterinary reserve corps
Deployment examples: 2008—Midwest flooding, hurricanes Gustav and Ike
Oversight/support: State or county government or organization such as a veterinary medical association or veterinary college
Structure: Animal response teams are interdisciplinary, with veterinary volunteers and other responders among the members. The model emphasizes coordination among organizations and the training of local volunteers.
A veterinary reserve corps is a group of veterinary professionals. In some states, the veterinary reserve corps has become a unit of the Medical Reserve Corps.
Deployment specifics: A state animal response team or veterinary reserve corps usually deploys within the state. Another state can request volunteers through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a national agreement that Congress ratified in 1996 to provide structure to interstate mutual aid.
Web sites/contact: https://www.avma.org/kb/resources/reference/disaster/pages/default.aspx, sartusa.org/states/states.php; contact the state agriculture department or veterinary medical association