Bushfires: Prepare Act Survive and Emergency Plans

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

Hello everybody,

Happy New Year

We are having a heat wave down here in Victoria and I was wondering what are people's emergency contingency plans are for their pets and livestock especially poultry?

All advice and suggestions are appreciated, as I want to be prepared as best as I can to save my chooks in case another fire comes through again.

Thank you, kindly,
Petite Poulet

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wickedwings · **Posted:** Sun Jan 01, 2012 2:26 pm

Timely question PP.

A lot depends on your family fire plan and how many birds you've got. I suspect most people will be unable to take their chooks with them if they have to leave in a hurry because they won't have time to mess around collecting and caging them. There is also the problem of room in the vehicle for the cage or whatever you are transporting them in.

Let's assume you plan to leave early for a code red day.

Let's assume you are leaving but can't take the chooks. Once again it gets down to how many you have. Radiant heat followed by lack of water is probably going to be the biggest problem. So,

I guess the above plan is contingent on the temporary accomodation remaining intact. If that is unlikely then you need to relocate them offsite or hope for the best. Whatever location you leave them in you need to plan how to care for them for the length of time you expect to be away.

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

Thank you, kindly Mr. wickedwings for taking the time to respond with your emergency plans.

I really appreciate your help and support and hope that I don't have to experience another Black Saturday

Petite Poulet

Hens and Hobbits · **Posted:** Mon Jan 02, 2012 8:50 am

This is an extract from http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/pets/pet-care ... mergencies

Pet Emergency Kit

In the event of an emergency, you and your pet may have to leave your property at very short notice. In some cases it may be someone else collecting your pet. A pet emergency kit will ensure that everything your pet needs is easily identified and can be transported with your pet to its temporary accommodation. An emergency kit should include:
Food and water containers
Leads and/or carry containers
Food and water for a minimum three days
An information list including your name, address and phone numbers, your pets name, description and care requirements
Pet first aid items and essential medications
Pet medical history, vaccination certificate and veterinary contacts
Blankets, towels and bedding
Pet registration, identification and licensing records
Litter trays and litter for cats.

Bushfires and Pets

Victoria is one of the most fire prone areas in the world. All households are responsible for developing their own bushfire survival plan. As pets are reliant on owners for their safety in an emergency, it is essential that your survival plan includes pets and other animals on your property. A survival plan must be developed, discussed and practiced before the fire season.

Relocating your Pets

The safest place for your pets on high fire risk days is to relocate them to somewhere with little or no bushfire risk. If you decide to relocate your animals, you should do it the night before a total fire ban day.
Emergency accommodation at animal shelters and boarding facilities may not be available, or be very limited. As part of your bushfire survival plan, you should prearrange with friends, relatives or others in a low fire danger area to care for pets on high risk days.
If you have to go to work on days of high fire danger, consider taking your animals to a safer place before leaving home. Under no circumstances should animals be left in vehicles. Keep in mind that you may not be allowed home for some time, and to ensure that your pet emergency kit accompanies your pet wherever it goes.

Evacuating with your Pets

If your bushfire survival plan is to leave your property with your animals, the safest option is to leave at the beginning of a day with a declared fire danger rating of Severe or Extreme. You should leave the night before or early in the morning when conditions are Code Red (catastrophic). On high risk days, do not let your pets outside unsupervised, as they may take fright and run away. Pets that are normally well behaved may become fearful and nervous during an emergency.
Most evacuation centres will not cater for animals. Some centres may allow dogs and small cage animals to stay with you. Cats should always be placed in emergency accommodation at an animal shelter, boarding cattery or with friends or family. This is due to the difficulties in containing cats and the owners ability to provide them with a good quality of life while confined in a carry cage.
Remaining on the Property
During a bushfire there will not be a fire truck available to protect every property. If you choose to stay and defend your property you will need to do some preparation well in advance. Refer to the Country Fire Authority for further information.
If you are unable to or choose not to relocate your pets you will need to move them inside the house well before the fire impacts. If animals have to be left outside during the fire, do not tie them up.
Animals suffer from heat stress so ensure your pets have access to plenty of water. Fill up bathtubs and sinks ahead of time to ensure you have access to water if services are disrupted after the fire.

After the Fire

If your animals are injured seek veterinary treatment immediately. DPI animal health staff, RSPCA, local councils and local vets will all be working to assist animals affected by the fires. They will be working under emergency circumstances and access and communications may be disrupted so expect some delay before help arrives. The Australian Veterinary Association advises that burns should be treated in the interim by running clean cold water over the burns.
If your pets are lost, notify your local council and neighbours, and check animal shelters daily.

http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/agriculture/f ... -bushfires

Help For Animals Affected By Bushfires
Help for Livestock

Department of Primary Industries

The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) provides assistance to farmers/landowners affected by bushfires by providing assistance to assess, and if necessary euthanase, bushfire affected livestock and in accessing assistance and advice from a number of organisations available to help.

Farmers needing urgent assistance assessing burnt livestock should call the DPI Customer Service Centre on 136 186. DPI veterinary officers will respond promptly and contact such farmers with practical help and advice. In areas not yet declared safe, farmers may need to use their own resources or local networks to ensure the welfare of their animals.
Farmers have three major options:
Destroy immediately - if the animal is down, unable to walk, has excessive burns, swelling of limbs or difficulty breathing.
Keep and nurse - if the animal is mobile and alert or has burns to less than 10% of its body. These animals will need shade, water, feed, daily inspection and veterinary advice and treatment. They will also need constant reassessment.
No apparent damage - Livestock will still need shade, water and feed and they will also need to be reassessed.
Livestock at risk of impending fire should, where possible, be moved to safer areas such as recently cultivated paddocks, bared-out or irrigated paddocks or stockyards with bare or ploughed surrounds. Horses should have halters, fly-veils and anything else that can burn them removed. Livestock should not be let out onto public roads.
Further information is provided in the following Information Notes:
Caring for animals during extreme heat
Livestock and your bushfire preparation plan:
Assessing Sheep after a Bushfire
Assessing Cattle after a Bushfire
Disposing of Carcases in response to bushfire

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

Thank you, kindly, Hens and Hobbits for the DPI information you found for both my heat/bushfire related topics

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

My parents went to a CFA bushfire preparedness meeting the other night. The CFA want people to leave the day before a Code Red as lots of people tragically died

defending their homes and livestock in the bushfires of 2009.

If everyone has to evacuate the area and leave their livestock including horses and chooks behind what will become of these poor animals left all alone in a green grass paddock with a fire break?

wickedwings · **Posted:** Fri Jan 20, 2012 8:30 am

Hi PP

It doesn't take a lot of imagination to figure out what will happen. My advice is to take care of your animals as best you can and, unfortuantely, don't worry about the rest. You can't save them all and you shouldn't take that burden upon yourself.

Make your preparations and take comfort in the fact you have done your best.

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

Yes, I can still vividly picture the charred remains of livestock still smouldering piled up on the burnt out paddocks and all the charred and injured wildlife in our neighbourhood :cry:

It is really stressful for humans to leave on Code Red as you never know what you will come home to...Realistically, how do you pack up and evacuate 1 rooster, 3 hens and 5 chicks and live like nomads on the designated safe place or keep moving from safe place to another.

How I do hate the heat...

wickedwings · **Posted:** Fri Jan 20, 2012 1:42 pm

I think you need to have an alternative, other than the designated safe place, to turn up to. I imagine on such a day that the safe place will be bedlam and that you will struggle to care for your birds there, with everyone else turning up and the strain on resources. I expect you need somewhere quieter that you can set up house for a little while, somewhere that has been prearranged before the actual need arises. Failing that, temporary accomodation in the securest building at home if you have the room.

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

Thank you, kindly, Mr. wickedwings

I pray that the bushfires don't happened again up here so soon, people are still recovering on many levels from 2009.

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