§         How does your program work?

§         If an evacuation is called by the authorities in the King County area or within the State of Washington that involves the evacuation of livestock and other animals, they will call us.  We then mobilize our volunteers to report to a designated area where teams are assigned for various duties such as Trailer Response Teams, shelter worker, documentation assistant, logistics and communication, etc.

§         Flooding and fire are common concerns in this area.  If an evacuation is called, what do I do?

§         Because we have a flooding concern in various parts of King County and fire concerns in other parts of Washington, you should prepare in advance for the possibility of evacuation.  Make sure your pet carriers and/or livestock trailers are ready to go.  We can provide you with instructions for a pre-prepared “Go Bag” for your household pet as well as instructions for getting your livestock ready to be moved.  We want you to prepare for evacuation for your family and your animals and we will be there along the evacuation route to take in your animal at a designated shelter site if your animal is not welcome at a human shelter.

§         How do I find out more about disaster preparedness?

§         Visit our links page.

§         How do I volunteer?

§         Go to our membership page.

§         Do you help with horses, cows, and other livestock?

§         Yes, we do.

§         What if I have a snake?

§         We will assist you in finding shelter for your domesticated animal if we are able to handle it.  However, if our volunteers are not trained to handle some exotic species we may need to refer you to a more qualified agency or organization.

§         If my house is flooded or my home is in a fire area, what happens to the animals I’ve left behind?

§         If activated through 911, our volunteers are prepared to go into those areas and evacuate the animals.  We will then shelter them until you are able to claim them.

§         What command structure does WASART use?

§         WASART was developed using the Incident Command System (ICS).  This is the system that is used by all emergency response and search and rescue agencies and organizations.

§         Do you evacuate only horses and large animals?

§         No, while we are primarily a large animal emergency evacuation group, we would not leave behind small animals that we may be able to save. 

§         What if my animal won’t load in a trailer?

§         Sadly, if we cannot get your animal into a trailer to transport it, we will have to leave it behind.  It is worth the time and trouble to work with and train your animals to load and trailer BEFORE urgent situations arise.

§         What don’t you do?

§         WASART is comprised of rapid response trailer teams.  We function in times of disasters.  That is our primary responsibility.

§         We do not rescue animals which are in need of new homes;

§         We do not do non-disaster/non-emergency  evacuations.

§         Where does your money come from and what do you do with it?

Our operating monies come from donations, grants, events, memberships, and in-kind contributions.  Our budget allows us to purchase supplies and equipment, banners to display at functions, printing expenses for informational pamphlets, etc. 

§         What is an Emergency Worker and why should I become one?

To become an Emergency Worker with the State of Washington and WASART, one must successfully complete any classes required by WASART.  Simply put, if you’re not an Emergency Worker, you will not be allowed to participate in an evacuation plan, either under the direction of the Office of Emergency Services, Animal Control, or WASART.

There are a lot of reasons for this:  liability, reliability and training, to name a few.  Before a civilian can be allowed by authorities into restricted or dangerous areas, that person has to be KNOWN.  Of course, access is always at the authorities’ discretion . . . they will not let Emergency Workers into an area deemed too dangerous.

Members of WASART, if they are Field Response Teams, must have their rigs in top shape, tires all good, floor of the trailer solid and attached.  People driving rigs will be determined by their actual driving experience with such rigs.

And, unfortunately, we have to keep security in mind.  The world has nasty people in it.  Think about it this way:  if a rescue group comes down your driveway to load your horses for evacuation, wouldn’t you like to know who they are, and to know they have been screened as closely as possible?

§      Will I receive an Emergency Worker ID and a WASART ID?

You WILL receive a laminated Emergency Worker ID card as soon as you have passed the requisite background check and the classes required to become a WASART member at whichever level you wish to volunteer.  You will also receive a laminated identification card from WASART.  We will need your photo (which we will take) and we will produce the WASART card.  Initial WASART ID cards cost nothing; replacement IDs are $5.00.  Please remember that these IDs are nothing more than name tags; they imply no authority.  They do provide the authorities with a means to know your name, your group affiliation, your credentials and training level.

§      What about community education?

This is one of WASART’s most important functions.  Many folks are not prepared for fires, flooding, or any of the other disasters which can affect our State.  They think it cannot happen to them and, of course, everyone hopes it never does!  But fires and floods happen and it’s too late to prepare once the fire or flood is heading your way.  We have members available to give presentations to schools, 4-H, FFA, Granges, community groups, and riding clubs.  In addition, we have a number of informative publications full of practical things that can be done to prepare for a fire, flood, volcanic eruption, etc. 

Although not yet finalized, we hope in the future to make many of our training classes open to the public.  There will likely be a small fee to the public to attend these classes.  Courses that we think might be of interest to the general public would be Large Animal First Aid, Handling Large Animals Under Stress, Small Animal First Aid, etc. 

If our efforts can help people get themselves and their animals ready, we’ll feel our efforts have been successful.

§      What is Pre-Registration?  Why is it going to help me in a disaster?

If you choose to pre-register your animals, and you do not need to be a member of WASART to do so.  You are giving us the information we may need to evacuate your animals as quickly and safely as possible.  Information we gather includes:

Ø      Description of each animal;

Ø      Description of each animal’s medical needs;

Ø      Where they are located on your property;

Ø      Any animal’s special quirks that may impact an evacuation situation.  (You can see how it might be life-saving information to know that the red leopard Appaloosa gelding has to be loaded before the bay Appaloosa gelding!)

Ø      Property access information, such as whether there is a turn-around, and what size rigs can be accommodated by that turn-around.

Being aware of this information, as you can now see, will allow us to work most efficiently when time is short and lives are at stake.

IMPORTANT:  your information is PRIVATE, with no one having access to it under normal circumstances except for our Board members and, during an actual emergency Call Out, the Trailer Response Team Captain assigned to your area.  We do not sell, share or in any way disclose the information regarding your animals or property.