Following the 2025 CalCART Summit, a critical training on Triage and Biosecurity was hosted in Amador County, bringing together members of three local shelter/evacuation teams: Amador County Animal Response Team (ACART), Evacuation Teams Amador (ETA), and South County Large Animal Rescue (SCLAR) out of El Dorado County.
The idea for localized training was born at the 2025 CalCART Summit, where ACART, ETA and SCLAR leaders enthusiastically supported a proposal for CVET (California Veterinary Emergency Team) to provide an in-person training session. The CVET team accepted the invitation and worked closely with local team leaders organizing the event. The training included lecture-style instruction followed by an interactive, hands-on simulation exercise.
Each team proudly wore their response T-shirts, and local veterinarians, including Dr. Dave Turoff, Dr. Vickie Smalley-Clark and Dr. Tim Perrano.
Lecture Topics Included:
• Shelter Setup: Focused on intake stations, PPE, feeding stations, ventilation, sanitation, and disinfecting procedures.
• Biosecurity Work Zones: Explanation and layout of Hot, Warm, Cold, Decontamination, and Isolation zones.
• General Protocols: Emphasized PPE use, feeding, watering, housing, cleaning enclosures, and fly control.
• Disinfection Practices: Introduced the idea of a fully outfitted Biosecurity Trailer, including mobile wash stations, PPE storage, foot bath supplies, and cleaning tools.
• Field Biosecurity: Especially beneficial for ETA and SCLAR in regard to transport protocols.
The training also underscored the importance of team briefings at each shift, and the effective use of Shelterly to track information—reminding teams that more information is better than not enough, particularly when veterinary care is involved.
Hands-On Exercise Highlights:
• Attendees rotated through assigned shelter positions under tight time constraints.
• Blacklight and Glow Germ exercises helped visualize contamination and reinforce hygiene protocols.
• The tagging-out process was practiced, mirroring real-world deployment procedures.
• The session concluded with a lively and valuable Q&A.
A total of 64 participants attended the training, which marked a significant moment of inter-county collaboration, skill-building, and preparedness in the face of future emergency situations involving animal evacuations and bio-security needs.
This event underscores these team’s commitment to providing our community with highly trained volunteers to assist the community and their animals when disaster strikes. These teams are all volunteer and receive no public funding and rely solely on donations and grants. Further information is available — ACART — https://amadoranimalresponse.com, ETA – https://amadorevacs.com, SCLAR – https://www.sclar.org/
Originally posted at the Ledger Dispatch on May 30th, 2025