AWARENESS PROGRAMS
Photo by: Verde Independent, 2019
Build a neighborhood or “buddy” system
EEE can help your neighborhood make a plan for a successful evacuation
EEE can facilitate awareness programs in with your neighboord so that as a group you can come up with a plan for successful evacuation. We have developed materials to assist neighborhoods and other groups to plan in preparation for possible evacuation during major incidents. Consideration should be given to creating neighborhood plans that can cover the risk of an owner not being at home or unable to pass through a road block once an evacuation has been declared. Such plans can match up owners who do not have sufficient (or no) slots in a horse trailer with other owners who have extra slots.
A “buddy” system of two owners organizing themselves together can achieve the same result. Contact EEE at info@eeeyc.org to obtain organizing materials and to speak with someone who can assist you in setting up a(n) EEE Awareness Program for your neighborhood or equine organization.
Your Neighborhood training will go over the following information:
- 1. Determine if you have natural groupings in place (sub-divisions, neighborhoods.) Nearness can be important.
- 2. Identify at least one other person to help get started (don’t rely on just one lone ranger).
- 3. Do an informal census of large animals (horses, donkeys, mules, etc.) in the proposed area (drive-bys, emails, notes in mailboxes.)
- 4. Provide value to participants early. (Include awareness information at the outset. Alert Yavapai sign-up information, animal shelter locations, the AZEIN and EEE websites and the Equine Emergency Evacuation of Yavapai County Facebook page.)
- 5. If appropriate, have a meeting or potluck picnic. Ask nearby EEE and Fire personnel to participate. Ask your County Supervisor to endorse the initiative.)
- 6. Prior to the event, rough out likely teams within the area. Keep the teams small (2–5 households) in the interest of quick response. (For equines, match up extra trailer slots with owners with no or insufficient trailer slots.)
- 7. Discuss the rationale for the teams at the meeting. Have the proposed teams meet after the presentations. (Teams are not mandatory; nothing is mandatory. Individuals can be members of the larger group as long as they acknowledge the risks. Example: No one is home when an evacuation is announced.)
- 8. Ask the teams to meet on their own at each other’s property to become familiarized with animals, truck and trailer locations, keys, and access. (It is always surprising to find out all of the loose ends and things that are not taken into account.)
- 9. Consider a Facebook page for the group and/or a Group page on an online community like NextDoor.com.
- 10. Not everyone will want to join a group. An alternative is to have them make private arrangements with neighbors/friends. The EEE awareness materials are useful for this as well.
- 11. If groups are established, consider a phone tree communications exercise and/or a mock evacuation. Individual neighbors that don’t participate in a group should consider this as well.
NOTE: Yavapai County relies heavily on volunteers and grass roots self-help initiatives. Neither Yavapai County nor EEE incurs liability for transporting/evacuating animals.