Tennessee Exceeds 1,000 Credentialed Animal Care Workers

Nashville - 1/11/07 - Tennessee now has more than 1,000 persons trained and registered to give aid to animals during times of emergencies. 

The initiative is expected to help state and local emergency officials to be more responsive to animal needs and to reduce unnecessary animal and human suffering during a disaster.

In February 2003, TDA began working with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) to identify, train and issue credentials to animal care workers who can be called upon during times of disasters and emergencies.

Today, 90 counties in Tennessee have either formed or are in the process of forming a local Disaster Animal Response Team (DART) made up of credentialed individuals. Credentialing is important because it provides emergency responders, leadership and a method for quickly identifying and activating qualified animal care workers.

The credentialing program was established as part of Emergency Support Function 16, which is the state's plan, developed by the Agriculture Department and TEMA, to specifically deal with animal-related emergencies in the state.  ESF 16 establishes procedures to coordinate local and state resources to provide care and housing for companion animals and livestock during manmade or natural disasters and contagious animal disease outbreaks.  

Of the 1,008 individuals credentialed by the TDA, 32 percent are veterinarians, 31 percent are volunteers ranging from animal control officers to pet and livestock owners, 13 percent are University of Tennessee Extension personnel, 12 percent are animal health technicians, and 12 percent are all-purpose workers. Although there is a concentration of credentialed persons in areas of high population, nearly every county in Tennessee now has credentialed personnel.