LOS ANGELES COUNTY OPERATIONAL AREA ANIMAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE ANNEX APPROVED: MARCH 25, 2010 County of Los Angeles OA Emergency Response Plan –Animal Emergency Response Annex LETTER OF PROMULGATION TO: OFFICIALS, EMPLOYEES, AND RESIDENTS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY Preservation of life and property is an inherent responsibility of local, state, and federal government. The County of Los Angeles developed this Animal Emergency Response Annex to ensure the most effective allocation of resources for the maximum benefit and protection of the public and their animals in time of emergency. While no plan can guarantee prevention of death and destruction, well-developed plans, carried out by knowledgeable and well-trained personnel, can minimize losses. The Animal Emergency Response Annex establishes the County’s emergency policies and procedures in relation to the evacuation, care and sheltering of household pets, service animals and livestock. This Annex provides for the coordination of planning efforts among the various emergency departments, agencies, special districts, and jurisdictions that comprise the Los Angeles County Operational Area. The Animal Emergency Response Annex conforms to the requirements of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the California Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS). The Animal Emergency Response Annex is an extension of the Operational Area Emergency Response Plan (OAERP). The objective of the OAERP is to incorporate and coordinate all County facilities and personnel, along with the jurisdictional resources of the cities and special districts within the County, into an efficient organization capable of responding to any emergency using SEMS, mutual aid and other appropriate response procedures. The Animal Emergency Response Annex will be reviewed and exercised periodically and revised as necessary to meet changing conditions. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors gives its full support to the Animal Emergency Response Annex and urges all officials, employees, and residents, individually and collectively, to share in our commitment to the effective preparedness and response for disasters that may have an adverse impact on animals. This letter promulgates the Animal Emergency Response Annex, which becomes effective upon approval by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Signed _____________________________________ Date: ________________ Gloria Molina, Chair Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors County of Los Angeles ii OA Emergency Response Plan –Animal Emergency Response Annex ANIMAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE ANNEX REVIEW The Animal Emergency Response Annex will be reviewed every three years and as necessary for any updates. Page(s) Review Date Nature of Update(s) (if any) Reviewer Affected County of Los Angeles iv OA Emergency Response Plan –Animal Emergency Response Annex EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Los Angeles County Operational Area (OA) Animal Emergency Response Annex (Annex) outlines the policies and procedures necessary to deal with the impact of a disaster on citizens and their pets and other animals in the areas of evacuation, care and shelter. The Los Angeles County OA Emergency Response Plan – Animal Emergency Response Annex is not meant to stand alone, but is intended to be used in support of, and in conjunction with State, County and city plans, and their responding agencies’ standard operation procedures. The policies, procedures, and concepts identified in this Annex follow the guidelines established by the following: United States Department of Homeland Security’s National Incident Management System (NIMS) California Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) United States Department of Homeland Security’s Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006. A team from the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care & Control (DACC) and the Department of Public Health (DPH), in collaboration with the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and local animal emergency response agencies, developed this Annex. County of Los Angeles v OA Emergency Response Plan –Animal Emergency Response Annex ANNEX OVERVIEW The Los Angeles County OA Animal Emergency Response Annex consists of eight sections. Each section has a specific purpose, as stated below. Section 1 – Introduction This Section contains formal language outlining the purpose, scope, mission statement, legal authorities and potential hazards to animals in the OA. Section 2 - Operations This Section outlines the operational priorities, concept of operations, and the sequence of operational activities for an emergency event with an impact on animals in the OA. Section 3 – Organizational Structure This Section identifies the organizational structure for the OA’s animal emergency response and recovery efforts. This Section also identifies the various animal emergency response organizations at different levels of government during preparedness, response, and recovery phases. Section 4 – Roles and Responsibilities This Section defines the various roles and responsibilities of County departments and agencies in carrying out this Annex. Section 5 – Planning & Intelligence This Section details the roles and responsibilities of County personnel related to planning and intelligence in the event of an OA animal emergency response. Section 6 – Finance, Administration & Recovery (FAR) This Section outlines the finance and administrative roles and responsibilities related to an emergency response. Section 7 – Training and Exercises This Section outlines the elements and considerations for an animal emergency response training program for personnel, public education programs, and exercises. Section 8 – Maintenance This Section outlines the policy and responsibilities for ongoing management and maintenance of this Annex. County of Los Angeles vi OA Emergency Response Plan –Animal Emergency Response Annex TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page Number Letter of Promulgation ii. Approval by the County of Los Angeles iii. Emergency Management Council Animal Emergency Response Annex Review iv. Executive Summary v. Annex Overview vi. SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Purpose 1 1.3 Scope 1 1.4 Assumptions 2 1.5 Responsibilities 2 1.6 Mission 3 1.7 Relationship to Other Plans 3 1.8 Authorities 4 1.9 Threat to the County of Los Angeles 7 SECTION 2: OPERATIONS 8 2.1 Operational Priorities 8 2.2 Definitions 8 2.3 Concept of Operations 8 2.4 Operational Area 8 2.5 Sequence of Operational Activities 9 2.6 Organizational Emergency Response Levels 9 2.7 Plan Activation 11 2.8 Animal Evacuation 12 2.9 Care & Shelter Operations 15 2.10 Service Animals of Individuals with Disabilities 17 2.11 Animal Disease Control 19 2.12 Communications 20 2.13 Public Information 20 2.14 Recovery 21 SECTION 3: ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE 22 3.1 County Emergency Organization 22 3.2 Operational Area Animal Care & Health Unit 22 3.3 Multi-Jurisdictional Coordination 23 3.4 Volunteer Mobilization 24 County of Los Angeles vii OA Emergency Response Plan –Animal Emergency Response Annex SECTION 4: ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 24 4.1 Management Section 24 4.2 Operations Section 25 SECTION 5: PLANNING & INTELLIGENCE SECTION 27 SECTION 6: FINANCE, ADMINISTRATION AND RECOVERY (FAR) 28 6.1 Role of Office of Emergency Management 28 SECTION 7: TRAINING & EXERCISES 28 7.1 Training 29 SECTION 8: MAINTENANCE 29 APPENDICES 30 County of Los Angeles viii OA Emergency Response Plan –Animal Emergency Response Annex SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND It is estimated that more than half of Los Angeles County households include domestic animals. Any natural or human-made disaster may result in potential public health and safety threats and may cause the displacement and evacuation of large numbers of people and their animals. 1.2 PURPOSE This Annex is intended to outline the basic concepts and policies for providing a coordinated emergency response to any disaster in the OA that may adversely affect animals and their owners. This Annex serves as the unifying document for the emergency plans of the County of Los Angeles, cities, and independent animal control agencies, and provides the framework for the Operational Area’s coordinated animal emergency response system. This Annex seeks to address the needs of owners and their animals during a disaster, and includes clear guidance and coordinating principles for all relevant agencies, organizations, and volunteers, in an effort to assist local jurisdictions in the rescue, transport, shelter, care and disease control of household pets, livestock and service animals during emergency situations. This Annex also provides a framework for animal disease control during an OA emergency in coordination with local, State and Federal authorities. 1.3 SCOPE To provide a coordinated animal emergency response system compliant with SEMS, NIMS and all relevant County, State and Federal laws. To protect the health and safety of the public throughout the County of Los Angeles. To provide for the immediate care, control and safety of animals throughout the OA. To minimize animal suffering, loss of life, and potential disability by ensuring a timely and coordinated animal emergency response program. To provide for the care and shelter of animals brought to shelters or housed by volunteers. To provide a system for identifying and reuniting animals with their owners after the emergency event. To expand the capacity and scope of OA animal emergency response operations, when necessary, by partnering with volunteer agencies and other jurisdictions.