County Office of Emergency Management Wins National Award

COURT HOUSE — The Cape May County Office of Emergency Management has earned a 2014 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties for its innovative Cape May County Animal Response Team, commonly known as CART. The notification of the award was provided by Yael Lazarus, Project Coordinator for the National Association of Counties to Cape May County Emergency Management Director Martin Pagliughi.
“This achievement award from the National Association of Counties affirms that the Cape May County Animal Response Team program greatly assists coastal communities who can be threatened each year by coastal storms and other emergencies”, said Cape May County Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton. “Our county has already provided information to other emergency management partners so this successful, volunteer program can be replicated in other counties and municipalities”.
The Cape May County Office of Emergency Management created the County Animal Response Team comprised of volunteers including emergency responders, animal care providers, animal control representatives, shelter personnel, and county residents who love and care for animals. The CART was formed to assist pet owners in a disaster or weather emergency by teaming up with county emergency management officials to provide shelter and care.
The United States learned through Katrina and Sandy that pet owners will not evacuate their homes during a major storm event unless they can take their pets with them, and care for them. Cape May County has embraced this fact and created the CART to have the basic capability of providing shelter for approximately 250 domestic animals during the next evacuation. To compliment this volunteer effort, the county has purchased emergency evacuation trailers for pets. The trailers are located adjacent to the traditional shelters for humans so pets and their owners can be reunited, and the owners can care for their pets during a storm. The CART holds quarterly meetings where it shares ideas and provides safety-based training to its volunteers.
“The fact remains that people will not leave their homes when an evacuation order is made unless they can safely care for their pets who are members of their families”, Pagliughi said. “Citizens stayed inside their homes and perished during Hurricane Katrina because shelters would not accept their pets due to liability issues. The CART overcomes that obstacle and will effectively help relocate residents out of harms’ way the next time a major storm threatens our county”.
For more information, please visit Cape May County’s emergency management website, www.capemaycountyemergency.net.