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HEARD ABOUT HC-DART?
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What is a Disaster Animal Response Team? How Do You Become a Member of the HC-DART?
Who Are Members of a Disaster Animal Response Team?
What is Involved in Becoming Credentialed?
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What is a Disaster Animal Response Team (DART)?
Tennessee Disaster Animal Response Team is a state-wide program under the authority of the State Veterinarian, Tennessee Department of Agriculture. The DART program was created in the 1990's, but has been expanded since both Sept. 11 and Hurricane Katrina have occurred. These 2 events showed deficiencies in emergency response in regards to responding to needs of animals. HC-DART was developed collaboratively by the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department and UT Extension-Hamilton County in 2006.
How Do You Become a Member of the HC-DART?
Contact Ray Burden, the County Director of the Hamilton County UT-Extension Office. Dr. Burden will sign you up for the training class and talk to you about how to complete the online training to become a member of the HC-DART.
Who Are Members of a Disaster Animal Reponse Team?
DARTs are made up of credentialed persons who can enter critical areas during an emergency involving animals. These individuals can range from veterinarians and vet technicians to interested animal lovers with some type of experience with animals (livestock, exotic, and/or companion animals).
What is Involved in Becoming Credentialed?
Becoming credentialed involves a day-long training at the UT-Extension office off of Bonny Oaks Drive in Chattanooga. In addition to the classroom training, there are some online courses from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that can be done at your own pace. The online training focuses on the Incident Command System (ICS), which details who's in charge during an emergency and how we would all work together during that time.
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How Do I Find Out More About HC-DART?
Don't Be Stubborn Like This Guy!
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If you are interested in joining the HC-DART or would like further information, just CLICK HERE ! | |
Useful Resources
AVMA Saving Family Booklet
Disaster Preparedness Humane Society
Preparing Your Pets for Emergencies
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