College - Author 1

College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences

Department - Author 1

Agricultural Education and Communication Department

Degree Name - Author 1

BS in Agricultural Science

Date

6-2018

Primary Advisor

Megan Silcott

Abstract/Summary

In the past 20 years there have been massive natural disasters that have devastated communities and states across America. In Southern California and on the Central Coast, there have been widespread fires with the largest fires being: in 2003, the Cedar Fire affected San Diego, in 2007, the Zaca Fire impacted Santa Barbara, and the Witch Fire devasted San Diego, and in 2017, the Thomas Fire affected Ventura County (Cal Fire, 2018).

Although Cal Fire has information on helping lower the impact of a fire on your animals and property, there is currently no protocol or general plan of action for evacuating livestock animals from personal properties, large farms or horse stables (Cal Fire, 2018). As a result, many animals have been killed by these fires, or if they were able to be evacuated, the owners were not able to locate them after the madness was over.

This project will address a critical need for emergency evacuation centers hosted by their local FFA chapters and school farms. The author will research and survey the viability of utilizing FFA programs to serve their communities in times of crisis. The goal is to provide an action plan for evacuating these animals before these disasters hit, so that many lives could be saved, and pets reunited with their owners.

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