Pet Preparedness a Great Success

We had a wonderful pet preparedness training this past Saturday. Participants learned what items are needed to put in their pet emergency kits, tips for including pets in their emergency plans, and information on how to get more involved in pet preparedness activities in the community. We want to give a big thank you to Dr. Aaron Messer for conducting the training and the Franklin County and Columbus Medical Reserve Corps for co-hosting the event.

If you are interested in getting more involved in pet preparedness, please read the information below. Thanks again to all of the volunteers who are helping to make our community stronger and better prepared!

What is the Animal Response Team (ART)?! You are invited to our MARCH 7^th ORIENTATION meeting!

Several years ago, the Columbus Public Health Department distributed surveys regarding the skills and resources that would be needed during a disaster situation involving animals. The responses were utilized in furthering the coordination of emergency animal response volunteers, the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) and various government agencies in the development of an animal response system.

If you have an interest in disaster response, the Franklin County & Columbus Medical Reserve Corps would like to invite you to attend our introductory course in Animal Response Training. This initial training, presented by Public Health Veterinarian, Dr. Aaron K. Messer, will focus on the Franklin County Animal Emergency Response Plan, local animal emergencies, volunteer safety, and animal handling. The training will be held on March 7th, from 6-8pm in meeting room TBA at Columbus Public Health Department (240 Parsons Ave, Columbus, OH 43215). The Animal Response Training is a crucial step in preparing our volunteers for an effective response during an emergency. More training on specific animal-disaster related topics, such as sheltering, transport, rescue, etc., will be presented at later dates. To register: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dHlPUkZ6R2FQcXRuYlFTM2pUYkNfcWc6MQ