COMPANION ANIMALS IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. COMPANION ANIMALS IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT A STATE GOVERNMENT PERSPECTIVE

2. Criminal activities Terrorism Earthquakes Bushfires Floods Storms Tornadoes Transport accidents Space debris Foreign animal diseases Foreign plant diseases Human diseases Hazardous chemical accidents Infrastructure failure Failure to maintain business continuity AUSTRALIAN SOURCES OF RISK

4. What is an emergency and what is a disaster? EMERGENCY Any event which exceeds the resources of the local area so invokes the Emergency Management legal provisions. DISASTER Any event which exceeds the resources of the jurisdiction so invokes the Disaster Management legal provisions.

5. Precursors for disaster... Hazard Community Vulnerability?

6. Emergency Management vs managing day-to-day emergencies “Emergency Management” involves: • A broader range of issues and strategies and • A higher level of response than day-to-day emergencies, which are routinely managed by police and / or emergency services.

7. Personal tragedies and traumas • Single or two vehicle car accident causing serious injury • House fire in which people die • Shark attack killing a surfer • Drowning at public pool • Asthma attack leading to death • Murder and serious crimes • Lost child

8. Minor Incidents • Bus crash with casualties but no prolonged road closure • Bushfire impacting a remote park • Burst water main causing flooding over several blocks • Chemical incident / fire in a small plant with no casualties or toxic leaks • Flood causing significant property damage but no casualties • Boating accident on Sydney Harbour not impacting transport arrangements

9. Major Incidents • Rail crash with several casualties and fatalities and closing track • Bushfire impacting a small rural community • Gladstone factory explosion • Chemical incident / fire in a small plant with no casualties or toxic leaks • Boating accident on Sydney Harbour impacting transport arrangements

10. Emergencies • Granville train disaster • Westgate Bridge collapse • Eyre Peninsula fires • Marble mountains Newcastle disease • Equine Influenza outbreak

11. Disasters • Ash Wednesday • Cyclone Tracey • Darwin bombing • Cyclone Mahina 1899 • Brisbane floods 1974 • Pt Arthur massacre

12. When you need good friends - it’s too late to make them Emergencies require interaction and cooperation of agencies e.g. • Treasury, • Health, • Community Services, • Engineering, • Agriculture, • Transport, • Community-based service agencies etc.

13. DISASTERS OFTEN OCCUR ... … in the dead Uphill of night Map 35 Map 32 ...at the Map 34 intersection Map 33 of 4 maps PUB …miles from the nearest pub!

14. Declarations • State Coordinator may declare an “Identified Major Incident”. (for a period not exceeding 12 hours). • State Coordinator may declare a “Major Emergency”. Not > 48 hours. Extended with Governor’s approval. • Governor may declare a “Disaster”. 96 hours. Revokable by Governor or may be extended by agreement of both Houses of Parliament.

15. Powers of the State Coordinator On the declaration of an identified major incident, a major emergency or a disaster, and while that declaration remains in force, he must take any necessary action to implement the State Emergency Management Plan and cause such response and recovery operations to be carried out as he thinks appropriate.

16. acquisition of property direct evacuation of people and animals enter/break into buildings etc. take possession of things destroy structures, animals & vegetation cut off fuel, water, drainage etc. prohibit movement of people remove people direct people whose responsibilities require their involvement POWERS OF AUTHORISED OFFICERS

17. Over-arching coordination • The Police Department is the coordinating agency for all emergencies (not just declared emergencies) unless the State EM Plan designates a different body in relation to an emergency of a specialised kind.

18. Role of POLICE Role: To maintain law and order and to protect life and property. Specific tasks would include: • Traffic and crowd control including the control of evacuation operations if required. • Identifying the dead and injured and notifying next of kin. • Establishing temporary mortuaries. • Maintaining the security of property. • Statutory investigative requirements. • Assess the need for the registration of disaster victims and subsequent advice to the State Controller (Community Services).

19. THE STATE DISASTER ORGANISATION STATE COORDINATOR .... MINISTER .... GOVERNOR ê ZEOCs ……. SEOC .......... NEMCC (EMA) ì é ë AGRICULTURE FIRE STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE & ANIMAL SERVICES HEALTH & COMMUNITY SERVICES AMBULANCE MEDICAL & FIRST AID MEDIA ENGINEERING POLICE LOGISTICS DEFENCE FORCE (SA) COMMUNICATIONS

20. Provide leadership Maintain oversight Prepare & review State EM Plan Provide advice to Government Undertake risk assessments Provide information to agencies Monitor capacity of agencies Coordinate the development and implementation of strategies and policies Monitor & evaluate response and recovery operations Other duties as directed by the Act or Minister Function and powers of the SEMC

21. So, where do companion animals fit?

22. Dept for Families & Communities Australian Red Cross Pastoral Ministry Services Insurance Council Interpreter Services Centrelink Lions & Rotary Clubs Dept of Health Animal Welfare Unit St John Ambulance COMMUNITY SERVICES

23. Role of COMMUNITY SERVICES Responsibilities include: 1.Establish Evacuation Centres to provide: • short term shelter, • information • support services (eg food, basic first aid, and pet care). 2. Activation of the National Registration and Inquiry System (NRIS) with linkages to Police Casualty Information and Disaster Victim Identification processes. 3. Establish Recovery Centres for affected people to: • receive financial assistance, • gather information • seek referral into the wide range of recovery services. 4. Disseminate information on practical advice and social/psycho recovery services within the affected community.

24. Life Injury Pets Property Money Security Addictions Personal space Comfort Helplessness EVACUATION CENTRE STRESS

25. Cant stay in evacuation centres Cant be disregarded Cant be boarded with strangers Cant be turned away May require vet treatment Lost pets need to be reunited with owners People need to know there is a pet plan or they will not cooperate May pose safety threats to personnel COMPANION ANIMAL ISSUES

26. Vet stations at evacuation centres Transport service to friends and relatives Boarding if cannot go to friends Identification Coordination Triage Reuniting Boarding costs Paper trail COMPANION ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

27. Pets are important factor recovery and life returning to “normal”.