Disaster & Mishaps Planning for Veterinary Hospitals

This information is a summary of the videos and details in my presentation on disaster planning.

AVMA Preparedness Video for clients

Small Animal Pet Safety Kits for Clients

Pet crate or carrier
Copy of your pets’ medical records
Pet food and water (At least 7 days, can opener if wet)
Pet food bowls (scoop for the food)
Small box for cat litter (plastic lining)
Microchip information
Blankets/bedding/Toys
Poop bags
Collar/harness and leash
A picture of yourself and pet
Towels/paper towels/cleaning agent
Muzzle (scared animals bite)
Your pets’ medication (1 months’ worth)
One month of flea protection
A list of family and friends contact information
A list of friendly pet hotels/motels within a 10-mile radius
Pet first aid Kit

Pet First Aid Kit to keep at home

Anti-diarrheal liquid or tablets
Antibiotic ointment
Bandage tape and scissors
Cotton bandage rolls
Flea and tick prevention (if needed in your area)
Isopropyl alcohol/alcohol prep pads
Latex gloves
Saline solution
Towel and washcloth
Tweezers

Equine Identification

Microchip
Tattoo
Halter tag
Neck collars
Leg band
Brand
Mane clip
Luggage tag braided into tail or mane
Clipper-shaved information in the animal’s hair
Livestock marking crayon, non-toxic, non-water-soluble spray paint, or non-water-soluble markers to write on the animal’s side
Permanent marker to mark hooves

Livestock identification

Neck chain
Ear notches
Leg band
Ear tag
Brand
Livestock marking crayon, non-toxic, non-water-soluble spray paint, or markers to write on the animal’s side
Ear tattoo
Back or tail tag

Equine and livestock evacuation kit

7-10-day supply of feed, supplements, and water
Bandanas (to use as blindfolds)
Batteries (flashlight, radio)
Blankets
Copies of veterinary records and proof of ownership
Cotton halter
Duct tape
Emergency contact list
First aid kit
Flashlight
Fly spray
Grooming brushes
Heavy gloves (leather)
Hoof knife
Hoof nippers
Hoof pick
Hoof rasp
Instructions
Diet: record the diet for your animals.
Medications: list each animal separately, and for each medication include the drug name, dose and frequency. Provide veterinary and pharmacy contact information for refills.
Knife (sharp, all-purpose)
Leg wraps and leg quilts
Maps of local area and alternate evacuation routes in addition to GPS (in case of road closures)
Non-nylon halters and leads (leather/cotton)
Nose leads
Paper towels
Plastic trash cans with lids (can be used to store water)
Portable livestock panels
Radio (solar, hand cranked and/or battery operated)
Rope or lariat
Shovel
Tarpaulins
Trash bags
Twitch
Water buckets
Whip/prods
Wire cutters

Large Animal Disaster Planning

Develop an evacuation plan for all your animals and practice the plan.
Keep written directions to your home/clinic near your telephone. This will help you and others explain to emergency responders exactly how to get to your home.
Identify alternate sources of food and water. Because floodwaters are often contaminated with sewer waste and may also pose a risk of chemical contamination,
Have well maintained backup generators and a source of fuel for use in food-animal production operations.
Do you have a method of transportation for the animals?

Evacuating large animals

Develop an evacuation plan in advance & make sure animals are familiar with being loaded onto a trailer. Locate and pre-arrange an evacuation site for your animals outside your immediate area.
- Possible sites include:
  - Veterinary or land grant colleges
  - Racetracks/fair grounds
  - Local pastures & stables
  - Equestrian centers & livestock corrals
  - Stockyards or auction facilities
  - Other boarding facilities

All Animal Disaster Planning

Keep vehicles well maintained and full of gas. Park your car front end out in case of urgent need to leave
Keep emergency cash on hand. (Remember: ATMs may not work.)
If evacuating is impossible, decide on the safest housing option for your animals, realizing that the situation is still life threatening.
Assess the stability and safety of barns and other structures, promptly remove dead trees, and minimize debris in fields and the immediate environment.
If you live in an area prone to wildfires, clear away brush and maintain a defensible space around structures.
Keep a list of the species, number and locations of your animals near your evacuation supplies and note animals’ favorite hiding spots. This will save precious rescue time.

AVMA Emergency Planning for Veterinary Practices

Emergency planning for veterinary practices | American Veterinary Medical Association

To help you face the challenges of preparing for a disaster, AVMA and AVMA Trust have compiled crucial resources and information for a variety of crisis events your practice might face.
- Master Landing Page for Disaster Resources
- Disaster preparedness | American Veterinary Medical Association

The AVMA Trust provides exclusive access to veterinarian-inspired insurance programs and other services to AVMA members. Whether you are just starting your career, currently own a veterinary practice, or are considering retirement, the AVMA Trust is here to protect and support you at every stage of your personal and professional life.

Coverages (https://www.avmaplit.com/products)

This is a general idea of what particular coverages are and mean. This is not to say that the extent or details of coverages are the same for every insurance carrier.

Property – If any of your property is damaged or destroyed, you can’t properly conduct business. This coverage helps repair and replace valuable practice assets.
General Liability – covers your practice in the event you are responsible for causing harm to a third-party person and/or property, and helps to cover the cost of your defense.
Business Interruption – protects your profit dollars when physical damage to your property causes an interruption of operations. Typical expenses include: normal payroll expenses, overtime, cost of transferring operations to another location, outside services, lease payments on equipment, lost income, extended business income after property is restored.
Mechanical Breakdown – protects from losses due to the accidental breakdown and resulting property damage from mechanical and electrical systems such as heating, cooling, phone, fax, copiers, surgical and medical equipment. Because computer are often vital to the veterinary practice, the policy protects you in the event of mechanical breakdown, crash or impairment of electrical imaging in your computer system.
Professional Liability – protects veterinarians accused of professional malpractice. PL will protect you wherever you legally practice, so you don’t have to worry about securing coverage for part-time, relief, emergency, or volunteer work. Not all PL coverages are the same. With AVMA PL, the program will defend you, even if the allegations against you are without merit. In the event you are found to have liability in the adverse outcome of a patient, your policy will pay the costs for which you are legally responsible. The coverage automatically extends to veterinary related activities such as speech making, consulting, clinical instructing, and serving as a member of a licensing or veterinary accreditation board. AVMA PL also includes a “consent to settle” clause, which means no claim will be settled without your written consent or a court order. With this unique feature, you get to decide whether the claim—and your reputation—will be defended.
Veterinary License Defense – responds to complaints made against your veterinary license to the state board, including frivolous accusations that could cost you thousands of dollars out-of-pocket to defend. The program will assign an experienced attorney to defend you—and will pay their fees.
Animal Bailee – covers damage to animals in your care resulting from fire, wind, theft, escape, flood, vandalism, attack from other animals, and many other perils not related to treatment.
Embryo & Semen Storage – If you store semen and/or embryos that belong to your clients, you are responsible for the viability of this property of others while in your care, custody, or control. Semen and embryo storage coverage can be added to your PLIT-sponsored Professional Extension (animal bailee) Endorsement, which is an optional endorsement on your malpractice policy. This important coverage responds to all damage and loss of the stock while it is being stored at your facility or while you are transporting it to or from client locations.
Workers’ Compensation – provides benefits to employees who get injured or sick from a work-related cause. This includes covering costs of medical treatment, ongoing care, lost wages, disability benefits and death benefits, like funeral costs.
Employment Practices Liability (EPLI) – responds to allegations such as wrongful termination, discrimination and sexual harassment. Some endorsements may provide other coverage/reimbursements such as those related to workplace violence, immigration, crisis events, and such.
Builder’s Risk – protect your financial interests during the course of construction whether building a new facility or expanding your existing location. Builders risk protects your project from start to finish, so your building materials and other property are covered from the time they are delivered to the job site until the structure is completed and can be covered under permanent property insurance coverage.
Data Breach & Cyber Liability – helps businesses recover financial losses from cyberattacks, data breaches, and other cyber-related risks. It can also cover legal costs and expenses associated with lawsuits, investigations, and regulatory fines.