General Considerations for First on Scene

ANIMAL EVACUATION Organizational Guide

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR FIRST ON SCENE First on Scene considerations are for those rare times when you arrive on scene at the same time or before as the rest of the first responders. This is prior to the establishment of an ICP or opening of the EOC. Hopefully these times will be rare, as the CO VMRC is generally requested after the incident has been ongoing. These are good principles to remember though, even for later responders.

If you are coming on scene as a requested resource you can skip to the next section for established incidents.

 Safety First

 Your safety comes first, then your team members, then the community and then the animals

 Communicate emergency and contingency plans

 Identify entry and egress routes

 Begin Scene Survey

 Identify immediate life threats

 Identify area affected

 Identify hazards (see specific incident types)

 Identify and request needed resources (see specific incident types)

 Determine type of animals affected

 Estimate number of animals involved

 Establish Command

 Identify yourself to others on scene

 Determine your ongoing communication plan  Maintain Situational Awareness

 Keep head up – look up, down, around and beyond

 Reassess, reassess, reassess

 Anticipate

 Remember to monitor your team members

 Risk v Benefit Analysis

 Remember this is fluid and will change

 Triage

 Stabilize the incident

 Set up accountability and check in for responders

 Remember 2 person teams at minimum

GENERAL EQUIPMENT AND PPE FOR RESPONDERS The specifics of PPE will change depending upon the type of incident, but this list should be applicable to any scene.

 Identification

 Communication device

 Radio (mobile or packset)

 Cell phone

 2 way radio (GMS or FRS type)

 Foot Protection

 Closed toed boots preferably with stiff toe

 No open toed shoes at any time

 Hearing Protection

 Eye protection

 Shatterproof lenses preferably wrap around type

 Sunglasses for bright days

 Eye shield on helmets  Skin protection

 Chapstick

 Sunscreen

 Lotion

 Bug repellent

 Gloves

 Nitrile or latex at minimum

 Cold weather gloves as needed

 Abrasion resistant for ropes and rigging

 Kevlar or slash resistant

 Nomex for fire scenes

 Head protection

 Helmet

 Cold weather hat

 Light source

 Flashlight

 Head lamps

 Cyalume sticks GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR AN ESTABLISHED SCENE Once an incident has passed the initial response phase and you have been called in to take care of the animal issues.

 Check in with Incident Command

 Determine short term and long term objectives and responsibilities

 Identify staging location

 Establish Field Operations

 Brief team members on objectives

 Assign equipment

 Assign radios

 Buddy teams

 Establish animal identification procedures

 Identify shelter locations

 Animals with known owners can go to co-located shelters

 Strays or injured/sick should go to temporary or pre-established shelters

 Start putting together strike teams, task forces, assigning supervisors, managers, etc.

 Start thinking about operational periods, relief crews, duration of response.

 Order additional resources you might need.

 Try to partner with other teams working same area

 You should plan to shelter in place where possible and safe.