PASART/CART TRAINING POLICY

 

PURPOSE:  To establish a training policy for County Animal Response Teams (CARTs) in Pennsylvania.  The courses listed below will standardize the training while offering flexibility for the CART Coordinators in scheduling appropriate training for CART members based on their roles and responsibilities.

 

GOAL:  To train CART volunteers commensurate with their responsibilities and assigned duties in an effort to protect the safety of the volunteers and animals (small, large, domestic, and wild).

 

SPECIAL PROVISIONS:  Consideration will be given to CART members on a case-by-case basis who have had prior practical experience.  Members who have completed courses prior to enrollment as a CART volunteer will be given credit provided a certificate was issued and is presented to the CART Coordinator.

 

REQUIREMENT: All CART members must complete Level I – Basic Responder training as soon as practical following enrollment as a volunteer.  CART members must successfully complete Level I training requirements to qualify for reimbursement of Level II or other training costs. 

 

TRAINING REQUIREMENTS AND OTHER RECOMMENDED TRAINING:

 

Level I - Basic Responder – Required of all volunteers

SART Orientation

Basic Incident Command System (IS-100 or equivalent)

HazMat Awareness

National Incident Management System (IS-700 or equivalent)

 

Special NIMS requirement for CART Coordinators and Co-coordinators

IS-200

 

Level II – Specialized/Technical Responder – Specific courses optional based on assigned role within each CART

Animals in Disaster - Module A Awareness and Preparedness (IS-10)

Animals in Disaster – Module B Community Planning (IS-11)

Pet First Aid

Human First Aid

WMD Awareness

Large Animal Rescue

Animal Sheltering

Livestock in Disasters (IS-111)

Biosecurity and Zoonoses

Trailer Rescue

Animal Behavior

Euthanasia

Barn Fires

Ice Rescue

Swift Water Rescue

Developing and Managing Volunteers (IS-244)

 

INSTRUCTORS/TRAINERS may include but are not limited to certified instructors, teachers/professors affiliated with accredited schools or universities, and other credentialed professionals such as the following:

 

Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue, Inc. – Drs. Tomas and Rebecca Gimenez

Days End Farm Horse Rescue – Allan Schwartz

Code 3 Associates, Inc.

The MSPCA at Nevins Farm – Roger Lauze

Rescue 3 International

American Red Cross

The Humane Society of the United States

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency

County Emergency Management Agencies

Volunteer Fire Companies

 

Train-the-trainer opportunities and Independent Study (IS) on-line training through the Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (www.fema.gov) will be encouraged to conserve resources.

 

STUDENT TRAINING COSTS:  PASART will financially support training or directly reimburse CART members for training costs not to exceed $250 per CART member per year subject to the availability of funds. CART members must successfully complete any course attended to be eligible for reimbursement. Eligible costs include but are not limited to course registration fee, hotel, and mileage to and from training site.  CART members must successfully complete Level I training requirements to qualify for reimbursement of Level II or other training costs.  CART members must successfully complete Level I training as a pre-requisite to any other PASART sponsored training.  Attendance at PASART sponsored training will be denied to CART members who have not completed Level I training.

 

Training Report: CART members being reimbursed for course attendance must submit a report of their training experience which includes a summary of the course, copies of handouts and a statement as to the value of the training. This will provide the CART Coordinator with information necessary to consider future requests for the same training while also providing team members with summary information about the course.

 

APPROVAL REQUIREMENT: CART members need the prior approval of their CART coordinator to attend any course beyond the Basic requirement and for which they will seek reimbursement. (Note: This is to insure that CARTs control the training effort as much as possible so as to have an adequately trained team with back up capability).

 

POLICY REVISIONS: The Board of Directors may amend or revise this policy as priorities and needs change, financial resources become available, or other factors require amendments or revisions.

AMENDED:   January 16, 2007