HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO 17-10
CiN Report To
Executive Committee
IC ERI1 V G Report Number: CAO 17-10
1 1 4 Date: July 5, 2010
From: Debbie Shields
City Clerk
Subject: Animal Services Emergency Response Plan
Recommendation.-
1 . That the Animal Services Emergency Response Plan be endorsed by Council,
and
2. That the Animal Services Emergency Response Plan be incorporated into the
City's Community Emergency Management Plan.
Executive Summary: The City of Pickering's Animal Services Emergency
Response Plan has been developed to enable the City to act in an efficient and effective
manner to ensure that the people and pets in Pickering are cared for during a
community emergency.
The purpose of this plan is to control and support the humane care and treatment of
companion animals during any emergency situation in the City of Pickering. It will
describe policies and procedures for evacuation, care and control of animals during a
disaster, as well as the related roles and responsibilities of participating agencies and
external partners.
Financial Implications: None.
Sustainability Implications: The Animal Services Emergency Response Plan is very
consistent with the principles of sustainability as they relate to the promotion of core
community values.
Background: While the care of animals in disaster should never take precedence
over the care of people, it has been proven that providing care for animals plays a role
in facilitating the personal safety and care of a large number of people when in an
emergency situation.
Report CAO 17-10 July 5, 2010
Subject: Animal Services Emergency Response Plan Page 2
115
When the City of Pickering Emergency Response Plan is activated in whole or in part
because of an emergency, Pickering Animal Services with the support of other agencies
(as applicable) will assist individuals and businesses evacuated or displaced by such an
emergency with the housing and care of their domestic companion animals.
The.Animal Services Emergency Response Plan includes sections to govern how a
community emergency would be handled. Through specific procedures, the Animal
Services Emergency Response Plan will advise pet owners on how to care for
companion animals left behind and develop an animal evacuation plan. The plan will
also detail care for evacuated and non-evacuated animals, provide measures to control
animals running at large, and provide a public response mechanism to answer
questions on animal concerns.
The Animal Services Emergency Response Plan is intended to support the City of
Pickering's Community Emergency Management Plan and complement the Durham
Region's Emergency Support Plan. The Animal Services Emergency Response Plan
has been circulated to Fire Services where comments were received and incorporated
within.
Staff are recommending that the attached Animal Services Emergency Response Plan
be approved and incorporated into the Community Emergency Management Plan.
Attachments:
1. Draft Animal Services Emergency Response Plan
Prepared By: Approved/Endorsed By:
LQ)
Lindsey Brenner Debbie Shields
Supervisor, Animal Services City Clerk
LB: lb
Copy: Chief Administrative Officer
Recommended for the consideration
of Pickering ity Council
juvxe 23, 2 0 to
Tony Pre edel, P. Eng.
Chief Administrative Officer
CORP0227-07/01 revised
116
ATTACHMENT #1
City of Pickering-Animal Services Emergency Response Plan
AMENDMENTS
AIUCENDtIN" DAVE OF pA7 a►1VIENON1ENTS`
NUMBER AMENDMENT ENTERED MADE BY
117
GENERAL
The City of Pickering's Animal Services Emergency Response Plan has been developed to
enable the City to act in an efficient and effective manner to ensure that the people and pets
in Pickering are cared for during a community emergency.
Although disasters endanger the life and safety of both animals and humans, there are,
important preparedness measures that pertain specifically to animals. Through specific
procedures, this Animal Services Emergency Response Plan details these considerations in
order to protect animals as best possible. Other disasters have demonstrated that providing
care for animals plays a role in facilitating the personal safety and care of a large number of
people and ultimately affects the success of evacuation efforts.
While emergencies such as ice storms, flooding, fire, transportation disasters, hazardous
material spills, nuclear emergencies and communicable disease outbreaks are the most
likely. It is important for the Animal Services Emergency Response Plan to be flexible and
scalable and provide the procedures necessary to successfully shelter and care for animals
in any disaster.
The Animal Services Emergency Response Plan, through its procedures, will advise pet
owners on how to care for companion animals left behind and develop an animal evacuation
plan. The plan will also detail care for evacuated and non-evacuated animals, provide
measures to control animals running at large, and provide a public response mechanism to
answer questions on animal concerns.
When the City of Pickering Emergency Response Plan is activated in whole or in part
because of an emergency, Pickering Animal Services with the support of other agencies (as
applicable) will assist individuals/businesses evacuated or displaced by such an emergency
with the housing and care of their owned domestic companion animals. Pickering Animal
Services will continue to respond to emergencies of sick and/or injured stray animals found in
Pickering.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this plan is to control, and support the humane care and treatment of
companion animals during any emergency situation in the City of Pickering. It will describe
policies and procedures for evacuation, care and control of animals during a disaster, as well
as the related roles and responsibilities of participating agencies and external partners.
118
DEFINITIONS
Animal Services - Shall mean the staff unit of the Municipality taking the lead in the
emergency resource. When the emergency response is coordinated and managed by the
Region of Durham, Animal.Services shall mean the coordinated staff unit comprising of staff
of the Municipal Animal Service Agencies.
Companion Animal - Shall mean a dog, cat or any other pet that is generally understood to
be domesticated and is typically kept indoors.
Declared Emergency - Shall mean an emergency declared by a signed declaration made in
writing by the, Head of Council or the Premier of Ontario in accordance with the Emergency
management Act. This declaration is usually based on a situation or an impending situation
that threatens public safety, public health, the environment, critical infrastructure, property,
and/or economic stability and exceeds the scope of routine community activity.
Emergency - Situations, or the threat of impending situations, abnormally affecting property
and the health, safety and welfare of a community, which by their nature and magnitude,
require a controlled and co-ordinated response by all agencies.
Emergency Animal Facility (EAF) - Shall mean the designated area for the safe keeping
and caring of domestic animals during a response to a declared emergency.
Emergency Plan - Shall mean the plan developed and approved by the Council of the City
of Pickering.
Evacuation Centre - Shall mean the designated area where residents are asked to report to
when there has been a man-made or natural emergency. The Evacuation Centre will be a
location (outside the affected area) designed to receive, register and provide short term food,
shelter, first aid, counseling and other services to person who have been temporarily
displaced from their normal residence.
Municipal Animal Services Agency - Shall mean the animal services department/division
operated by the City of Oshawa, Municipality of Clarington, Town of Whitby, Town of Scugog,
Town of Uxbridge, Town of Ajax and the City of Pickering.
Reception Centre(s) - Shall mean the designated area where residents are asked to report
to when there has been an emission or it is occurring at a nuclear generating station. The
Reception Centre will be a location, outside the Primary Zone, through which evacuees
should pass to receive assistance, which would normally include monitoring and
decontamination, first aid and direction to an evacuee centre. One reception centre would
usually serve several evacuee centres.
Supervisor - Shall mean the staff person designated by the Municipal Clerk to perform the
Supervisor of Animal Services duties and responsibilities as defined in this Plan.
119
ADMINISTRATION
The Supervisor, Animal Services in consultation with the City Clerk is responsible for the
development and maintenance of this Plan. The Plan will be reviewed and updated annually
or when required to reflect changes in legislation, policy, resources, personnel or any other
changes deemed necessary.
PLAN APPROVAL
This Plan has been approved by Council Resolution # dated 2010 and becomes
part of the supporting documents for the City of Pickering's Community Emergency
Management Plan.
LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY
The authority for all municipal emergency plans is the Emergency Management and Civil
Protection Act, R.S.O 1990 and Regulation 380/04.
This plan will be implemented in support of the City of Pickering's Community Emergency
Management Plan.
DEMOGRAPHICS AND ANIMAL POPULATION ESTIMATES
The City of Pickering has an estimated 92,900 residents and an estimate of 29,560 private
households. Using the formula developed by the Humane Society of the United States of
America, the following is an estimate of the number of households owning animals in the City
of Pickering.
Number of Households Owning Animals
• Dogs - 29,560 x 36.5% = 10,789 x 1.52 = 16,175
• Cats - 29,560 x 30.9 % = 9,134.04 x 1.95 = 17, 811.38
The confinement.and care of pets during an emergency is based on a planning assumption
that approximately 20% of the population being evacuated will be requiring emergency
lodging and 30% of evacuees will require housing for their pet(s).
120
PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS
In an Emergency Situation:
When an emergency has been declared and a request is received to respond, the
following persons shall have authority and take responsibility to implement the
appropriate provisions of the plan:
• The Clerk or designate
• The Supervisor, Animal Services
• An Animal Services Officer
The Supervisor, Animal Services, or a designate through the City Clerk, will be
responsible to maintain contact with the MECG (Communications Team) for the
purpose of advising the community how emergency procedures affect owned animals.
- Animal Services Staff will follow all emergency procedures that are approved and in
place by the.City.
- Routine Animal Services activities will be suspended during an emergency. Only high
priority calls as determined by the Supervisor, Animal Services or a designate will
receive attention.
- Pickering Animal Services will be dedicated to providing assistance to the community
and to other agencies in the care and confinement of owned domestic animals.
- Pickering Animal Services will co-operate with other animal care control agencies,
organizations and individuals to assure that care, control and safety is provided for all
confined animals.
NOTIFYING STAFF
The declaration of'an emergency will be received through the City of Pickering's Community
Emergency management Plan Notification Procedure. Once an emergency is declared,
Animal Services Staff will follow all approved emergency procedures in place.
When an Emergency has been declared, the Supervisor, Animal Services shall notify staff
members. In the event that a staff member cannot be reached in person, a message shall be
left (if possible) at the residence for that staff person to contact Animal Services or such
telephone number or individual as may be designated in charge of telephoning staff
members.
All Animal Services staff, may be on 24 hour alert so long as a declared emergency exists.
121
EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION FLOW CHART
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NOTIFYING SUPPORTING AGENCIES
During a declared emergency, the city's capacity to respond to animal care and relief issues
may become overwhelmed. Supporting agencies and organizations will be an essential part
of meeting the diverse needs of animal owners and their pets.
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) provides emergency
support to farming community related to livestock issues. They may also assist in the
provision of resources and supplies/equipment and information.
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources provides personnel and equipment for the care of wild
animals.
Canadian Food & Inspection Agency (CFIA) - The lead agency responsible for the control.
and elimination of contagious diseases such as "foot and mouth disease". As the "lead"
agency responsible for dealing with such an outbreak, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
will designate control zones and direct all other agencies in combating the outbreak. The
CFIA Department will request the cooperation of municipal agencies, through the City of
Pickering Municipal Control Group.
When an Emergency has been declared, the Supervisor of Animal Services in consultation
with the City Clerk or designate will evaluate the need for additional help and if necessary
arrange to contact supporting agencies, volunteers and organizations for further assistance.
122
AGENCY SUPPORT NOTIFICATION FLOW CHART
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SET UP OF EMERGENCY ANIMAL FACILITY
Past experience has shown that during emergency situations some people are more
concerned for their animals' safety than themselves. This has led to reports of evacuation
failure, re-entry attempts and pet owners injured and/or killed while attempting to rescue their
animals.
The goal of Animals Services is to ensure that during a declared emergency, all animals are
kept in a safe environment relieving them and their owners of unnecessary distress.
Where there is no immediate harm to the animal (eg. extreme snow or heat) and the
animal(s) are safe temporarily in their home environment, Animal Services will provide
support to owners of the animals.
Where there is an immediate direct threat to the health and safety of owned domestic
animals, and the emergency has necessitated an evacuation centre or reception centre to be
opened, the City of Pickering will set up an emergency Animal Facility.
Depending on the nature and the location of the emergency, the Emergency Animal Facility
will be established at the, site(s) identified by Durham Region and the City of Pickering after
the Emergency has been declared. Keeping in mind the connection that people have with
their pets, potential Emergency Animal Facilities fall into two categories, pet friendly and
traditional.
Site selection falls into two scenarios 123
• An Emergency Animal Facility where animals are received from their guardians
and are cared and maintained by Animal Services Staff. This location is separate
from the evacuation/reception centre. This is the traditional set-up and has proven
to be stressful on both the animals and people.
• Pet Friendly Emergency Animal Facility (people and pets in same or adjacent
areas of the building. This location is within an evacuation/reception centre) where
the pets' guardian has the ability to care and maintain the animal.
The Supervisor, Animal Services will contact supporting agencies in the event that all City
locations are deemed disaster zones or, in the event that our Emergency Animal Facilities
are at maximum capacity and cannot hold any more animals.
Once an emergency is declared, Animal Services Staff will follow all emergency procedures
that are approved and in place by the City. These procedures will address all facets of setting
up an Emergency Animal Facility.