LADDER: Local Approach to Discussion-Based Disaster Exercises and Readiness

The project goal is to engage whole community stakeholders in discussion-based exercises to improve disaster preparedness involving animals. Few resources exist to facilitate exercises that test local disaster response to animal issues. LADDER: Local Approach to Discussion-Based Disaster Exercises and Readiness is a unique project that offers emergency management, Extension educators and other stakeholders a low-cost, low-technology “exercise-in-a-box” to incorporate into their exercise schedule, allowing communities to identify ways to become more resilient. Objectives of the project are to: 1) develop multi-disciplinary exercise tools for use by local emergency managers and Extension educators to challenge existing disaster response capabilities involving animals within their communities and 2) supply communities with convenient exercise tools to incorporate animal response issues into their emergency management program. Accomplishment of the project goal and supporting objectives will be achieved through developing, evaluating and publishing peer-reviewed, research-based exercise materials and engage preparedness stakeholders to build upon existing EDEN resources. Exercise materials will be tested in locations reflective of rural communities across the nation. Using pilot-testing feedback, revisions to the initial product will be made. A soft launch engaging EDEN delegates will evaluate the product prior to hard launch. Participants will conduct interdisciplinary assessment of emergency operations plans for disasters affecting animals, gap identification, and improvement plan creation. Upon conclusion of the project, the project team will engage Extension and emergency management professionals through a network of existing organizations to facilitate local emergency managers’ ability to meet the full spectrum of local preparedness needs.