The Putnam County Disaster Animal Response Team is an all volunteer organization committed to the welfare of animals and people in their most critical times of need such as emergencies and disaster situations.

In the aftermath of Andrew, a category 5 hurricane, in 1992 and Katrina, a Category 4 hurricane in 2005, the federal government enacted legislation to provide for the welfare of both humans and their animals. This legislation, the Pets Evacuation and Safety Act of 2006, better known as PETS, requires states and communities to plan for the evacuation of animals as well as people during disasters. Disaster Animal Response Teams were created to provide this function working under the Emergency Management Agency along with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture along with several other agencies both governmental and non-governmtal.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) offers DART training statewide to qualify individuals to assist in emergency or disaster situations. DART members can be qualified on two levels, either that of a Registered Volunteer or that of a Credentialed Responder. The DART training is open to veterinarians, veterinary technicians, extension personnel, animal control officers, animal owners, livestock producers, animal interest group members, and any volunteers with experience or an interest in assisting in the care of animals during an emergency.

Registered Volunteers should attend TDA Disaster Animal Response Team (DART) classroom training and sign the TN DART Code of Conduct. Having completed this level of TN DART training, Registered Volunteers are encouraged to further their training to the credentialed level by completing Incident Command System (ICS) courses 100, 200, 700 and 800. Completion of these courses is necessary to complete the current federal National Incident Management System (NIMS) requirements for credentialing. However, should you choose to remain a Registered Volunteer you may serve as a member of your local DART.

Credentialed Responders are required, in addition to attending TDA Disaster Animal Response Team (DART) classroom training and signing the TN DART Code of Conduct, to complete IS-100.b, IS-200.b, IS-700.a and IS-800.b and submit the certificates of completion of these courses. The TEMP also recommends completion of IS-10, IS-11, IS-111 and IS-811. The following website is available for you to take the ICS courses online: http://training.fema.gov/IS/crslist.asp. There is an examination at the end of the course and, upon completion of the exam, certificates are printed and mailed to the state.

To find out when the next training session is held or if interested in serving with the Putnam County DART, contact Sharon at (931) 528-7575.