New volunteer group to assist in moving animals during
disasters
A wind-whipped, 40-acre fire in rural Aromas last weekend was a
stark reminder of the fire danger San Benito County faces each
summer and early fall.
Not only do the fires pose a threat to people and their homes,
but animals such as livestock are often threatened by blazes,
particularly because they are difficult to evacuate quickly.
New volunteer group to assist in moving animals during disasters
A wind-whipped, 40-acre fire in rural Aromas last weekend was a stark reminder of the fire danger San Benito County faces each summer and early fall.
Not only do the fires pose a threat to people and their homes, but animals such as livestock are often threatened by blazes, particularly because they are difficult to evacuate quickly.
In an effort to prepare for a more rapid rescue of animals, the county Board of Supervisors recently approved the formation of the San Benito County Equine Evacuation and Assistance Unit. The group will be comprised of trained and registered volunteers who will assist emergency personnel when the evacuation of livestock is required during a fire or other emergency.
“With all of the fires that we’ve had in the [Central Coast] area, people are becoming more aware of what we don’t have,” said Jan Jensen, the program’s coordinator and secretary of the San Benito Fire Safe Council. “The biggest thing is not only are we training volunteers, we’re educating animals’ owners on how to prepare and have a plan for evacuating their animals.”
Volunteers will receive a broad spectrum of training, from how the Office of Emergency Services’ emergency management system works to workshops on trailer safety and maintenance and how to load unwilling horses. Training will also include emergency first aid for animals as well as tips on what to do if a veterinarian cannot access the evacuation site.
Jensen helped start Santa Cruz County’s equine unit in 1998 after the Lexington Fire. In three recent fires, the unit has evacuated and safely returned nearly 900 animals, she said, noting that she personally evacuated 12 alpacas and three llamas in the Lockheed Fire.
When San Benito’s evacuation unit is deployed, volunteers will leave a placard with information on where the animals are being taken and how the owners can claim them. Each animal will be photographed.
Jensen said she has verbal agreements with the Bolado Park Fairgrounds and 101 Livestock to serve as animal evacuation sites and some ranchers have offered their land as well.
San Benito County Sheriff’s Deputy Dave Zander, who works with the department’s mounted search and rescue unit, said recent fires from Santa Cruz to Santa Barbara are a reminder of the need for an evacuation unit.
“The fire in Aromas was a big eye-opener for us,” he said. “A lot of people have horses and llamas and other larger animals that may need evacuation.”
In partnership with the City of Hollister’s Animal Control department, the equine evacuation unit could be called on to transport animals away from property that is being evacuated during or after a fire, flood, earthquake or other disaster.
Animal Control will facilitate the care of the animals once they are evacuated, Zander said.
Potential volunteers need to fill out an application and turn it in to the Sheriff’s Office on Fourth Street. The department will perform a background check to ensure that interested people have a clean driving record and have no felony convictions.
Experienced horse handlers who have a trailer or access to one are particularly encouraged to apply. Volunteers must also be able to respond quickly to emergency when contacted via text message or a phone call from the county communications center.
“It would be helpful to have a familiarity with animals, ability to handle them and a willingness to help at evacuation sites” during potentially dangerous situations, Zander said.
Other types of volunteers are needed, such as people who will ride along with drivers to assist in evacuations, information recorders, feeders and people to watch over the animals at the evacuation centers.
The sheriff’s office budget will provide funding for the evacuation unit as needed, Zander said, though much of the training will be offered online at no cost to the county.
“I encourage anybody who is interested to take the time to give me a call,” Zander said. “We’ll work together as a community and make this unit successful. I want to thank the Hollister Police Department, Animal Control, the sheriff’s office, supervisors and the community for coming together to make this happen.”
The unit is expected to be functional in the “next few months,” Zander said.
For more information about the Equine Evacuation and Assistance Unit, contact Deputy Dave Zander at 636-4080 or by e-mail at dz*****@sb********.org; or call Jan Jensen at 623-4322.
