Pet rescue is an integral part of safely evacuating individuals. We are developing a neighborhood self-help system for identifying pets to evacuate when district homeowners are absent. Realizing the need for rapid evacuation of people and animals, and understanding that non-authorized professionals will be excluded from fire-zone areas, the responsibility for removing animals primarily falls on a system of small neighborhood watch groups who assist each other.
In preparation for an emergency the Third Arm is working on the following:
- Develop a guidebook (P.E.T. Guidebook) for accomplishing animal rescue in neighborhood “pods” where small groups of nearby homes are linked and organized to protect and/or rescue each other’s pets during evacuations.
- Urge District residents with pets to enter all companion pet information into the database, thereby allowing authorized BMFPD personnel to assess an individual homeowner’s needs in the event of an emergency. The database can also be used to provide pet location information in the event of an emergency.
- Promote the organization of Pet Evacuation Teams (P.E.T.) within the District. Hold workshop sessions for neighborhood pod members, specifically disseminating information regarding suggested guidelines to safely evacuating pets.