CMDART

CMDART speaks at
Mass Care Conference

Cindy Koenig, CMDART Advisor and a member of the
Auburn CERT team, talks to a public official about the new
items in our Pet Go Kits. CMDART attends several public
events each year to teach personal preparedness and
emphasizes having pet emergency items to be ready for fires,
floods, and other hazards. Our new Pet Go Kits makes it
easy for residents to gather what they need.

The American Red Cross, Mass Bay Chapter (Boston) and
the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA)
hosted a conference at Worcester State College in July. This was
one of several across the state. CMDART and the State of
Massachusetts Animal Disaster Response Team (SMART)
partnered to present six short workshops about animal disaster
services. Laura Pease, Animal Control Officer for Barre (on the left)
along with several members of CMDART spoke to public health,
emergency management and other officials about animal disaster
preparedness in their town. CMDART has formal agreements
(MOU's) with several of the 65 towns of MEMA Region 4
(Central Mass) to help them plan, prepare and respond in
large-scale emergencies that involve animals.

333
Pet Rock Fest Fund

I'd like to inform you that CMDART was unanimously voted to be
awarded $1,000.00 from the Pet Rock Fest Fund. We all feel that
CMDARTis an organization that opitimizes the mission of Pet Rock
Fest. We know that especially this year with all the trial and disasters
CMDART can certainly find a good use for this funding.

Congratulations, you will receive a formal letter and a check very soon.
I just wanted to give you my best wishes personally.You and all at
CMDART work hard for the animals every day
Kindest regards,
Jeannie Hebert,President and
CEO Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce,
Founder Pet Rock.

------------------------------------------------------
To: Jeannie, Charlene, and all the Pet Rock
Volunteers and Committee:

I sit here this evening in awe of this gracious gift and recognition. I
personally am touched by this and am so proud of the efforts of our
Directors, Advisor's and volunteers who despite hardships with family
illness, economic strain, work demands and being residents in the
disaster area, continue to give their time and talent to make Central
Massachusetts safe for pet and animal owners during repeated incidents
this year and in the past.

CMDART is in its 9th year, coming January 2012.The Federal
Government (FEMA) just completed National Preparedness month. As
you know, we work hard to educate our communities about personal
preparedness for the "whole" family because the next disaster is just
around the corner. For these eight years, we have been grateful to Pet
Rock for giving us a fun and entertaining venue to educate a lot of pet
owners and to encourage team membership.

We thank each of those who contributed to this years Pet Rock success
and for sharing a portion that day with us in this way. We continue to
take pride in serving the communities where we live and work.

JoAnn Griffin, LICSW, President and
Team Director CMDART, Inc.

CHAIN SAW SAFETY TIPS

As homeowners begin the clean-up and recovery from the
October 29-30 Nor’easter, it is important to understand what you
are doing if you are going to safely use a chainsaw. Operating a chain
saw is inherently hazardous. As downed trees and debris are being
removed, potential injuries can be minimized by using proper personal
protective equipment and safe operating procedures.

Before Starting a Chain Saw

· Read the instruction manual that came with your saw. Your manual
describes how to mount the guide and chain, how to mix the fuel and
lubricate the saw, and how to start it.

· Check controls, chain tension, and all bolts and handles to ensure that
they are functioning properly and that they are adjusted according to
the manufacturer’s instructions.

· Make sure that the chain is always sharp and the lubrication
reservoir is full.

· Start the saw on the ground or on another firm support. Drop
starting is never allowed.

· Start the saw at least 10 feet from the fueling area, with the
chain’s brake engaged.

Fueling a Chain Saw

· Use approved containers for transporting fuel to the saw.

· Dispense fuel at least 10 feet away from any sources of ignition
when performing construction activities. No smoking during fueling.

· Use a funnel or a flexible hose when pouring fuel into the saw.

· Never attempt to fuel a running or HOT saw.

Chain Saw Safety

· Clear away dirt, debris, small tree limbs and rocks from the saw’s
chain path. Look for nails, spikes or other metal in the tree before
cutting.

· Shut off the saw or engage its chain brake when carrying the saw
on rough or uneven terrain.

· Keep your hands on the saw’s handles, and maintain secure footing
while operating the saw.

· Proper personal protective equipment must be worn when
operating the saw, which includes hand, foot, leg, eye, face, hearing
and head protection.

· Do not wear loose-fitting clothing.

· Be careful that the trunk or tree limbs will not bind against the saw.

· Watch for branches under tension, they may spring out when cut.

· Gasoline-powered chain saws must be equipped with a protective
device that minimizes chain saw kickback.

· Be cautious of saw kick-back. To avoid kick-back, do not saw
with the tip. If equipped, keep tip guard in place.

Download more info

The source of much of this important information is the Occupational
Safety & Health Administration (OSHA).

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is the state
agency responsible for coordinating federal, state, local, voluntary
and private resources during emergencies and disasters in the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MEMA provides leadership to:
develop plans for effective response to all hazards, disasters or threats;
train emergency personnel to protect the public; provide information
to the citizenry; and assist individuals, families, businesses and
communities to mitigate against, prepare for, and respond to and
recover from emergencies, both natural and man made. For
additional information about MEMA and Flooding Issues, go to
www.mass.gov/mema Also, follow MEMA updates on Facebook
and Twitter.

- Noah's Wish-
"Fun and games highlight
communication training"

Noah's Wish held two Emergency Animal Sheltering trainings on the
East coast this year, one in Virginia in May and one in Maine in June.
Each year, NW's supplements their basic training with some specialty
lectures and trainings. This year the focus was on birds,
communication, and conflict resolution. JoAnn Griffin, LICSW,
President and Team Director for CMDART, spoke on the latter
subjects at both venues. Virginia was at the beautiful Pocahontas
State Park and Maine was at the Cumberland Fairgrounds.
As part of the topic, Jo Ellen Cimino, International Trainer for Noah's
Wish and JoAnn offered rounds of laughter with an experiential
exercise that demonstrated how hard good communication can
be during chaotic times. Photo above shows attendees in Virginia
trying to talk to their partners to get them
to "safety" across simulated hazards. NW's is known for creative,
engaging ways of training animal disaster responders.

HANOVER INSURANCE SUPPORTS
TRAINING AND COMMUNITY
EDUCATION

The Hanover Insurance Group has provided a grant in the amount
of $500 to theCMDART (Central Mass. Disaster Animal Response
Team). This grant is made through ourcompanies private foundation,
The Hanover Insurance Group Foundation, Inc., in recognition of
the volunteer activities of our employee, Linda Schnell. This grant is
being given to support training and development for response worker,
community education forums and other program expenses.

Our thanks to Linda Schnell, Hanover Employee and
CMDART team member who initiated this grant.
Thank you, Linda!

Two Red Cross Certified Pet
First Aid courses were held
in 2011, one in February
and one in May.

Two Red Cross Certified Pet First Aid courses were held
in 2011, one in February and one in May.
First photo: Patricia Arel and Joe Thibeault, CMDART
Volunteers from Leominster look on as Valerie
Laurence, LPN, Red Cross certified Instructor,
demonstrates CPR on a mechanical cat. Thirty people
attended the February class and approximately 20 for the
May class. In the second photo, Chris Shustak, "Kip"
from Holden, practices CPR on a canine mannequin at
the May Pet First Aid class held at NEADS in
Princeton/Sterling. Our thanks to NEADS for the space
to hold the class. CMDART is working on its 2011, 2012
schedule of classes and will offer another PFA course as
part of the overall curriculum.

To help keep your pet safe and sound in 2011, experts from th
e ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) in Urbana, Illinois
, have created a list of the 10 most common poisons that affected our
furry friends last year. A few highlights of their findings include:

* Accidental ingestion of human medications accounted for 25 percent
of all calls to the ASPCA in 2010. The most common culprits included
antidepressants and over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen
and acetaminophen.

* Approximately 20 percent of all calls concerned insecticides
commonly used for flea control. Our feline friends are especially
vulnerable to the misapplication of spot-on flea and tick products.

* Baits used to kill mice and rats can be deadly if ingested by pets.
Many rodenticides are grain-based, which attracts not only rodents,
but dogs and cats, too, and can cause seizures, internal bleeding or
kidney failure.

* Some of the most delicious people food, including grapes, raisins
and garlic, can be poisonous to pets. Grapes and raisins can cause
kidney failure in dogs, while onions and garlic can cause anemia if
ingested in sufficient amounts.

* Household plants may keep your house green and your air clean,
but some can cause serious gastrointestinal problems for companion
animals. Please visit our list of pet-safe plants before your next trip
to the nursery.

As always, if you suspect your pet has ingested something toxic,
please call your vet or the ASPCA’s 24-hour poison control hotline
at (888) 426-4435. To read our complete list of the top
10 pet toxinsof 2010 , visit APCC online .

Blackstone Valley - The Central Massachusetts Disaster Animal
Response Team, Inc(CMDART, Inc) recently received a $500
community grant from Walmart of Northbridge, a $162 grant from
the Animal Welfare Fund (Combined Federal Campaign CFC Code
22157) and a $2000 grant from the American Society for Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals (ASP. TheWalmart and the Animal Welfare grant
will help increase the number of trained animal disaster responders in
the Blackstone Valley. The ASPCA grant will purchase some basic Large
Animal Emergency Rescue Equipment.

CMDART, Inc. is an independent, charitable, non-profit, tax-exempt
501(c), providing information, training, support, supplies and personnel
to help plan, prepare and respond to aid animals affected by man-made
or natural disasters. CMDART provided emergency services for
pet owners and their animals during Hurricanes Ike, Katrina, the Ice
Storm of 2008, in cases of hoarding. hoarding and puppy mill incidents
as well as aiding the American Red Cross of Central Mass with local fire
incidents.

"There have been a number of horses that have gone down over the
"past few years", said Griffin."We might have been able to help local
emergency responders if we had this large animal emergency equipment.
Perhaps it would have saved a few of these beautiful creatures. This
ASPCA grant is merely a start for the equipment we need to help and
support local emergency responders, but it's a start and we are
grateful for it."

CMDART depends solely upon grants and private contributions to
fulfill its mission. For more information about CMDART or to make
a contribution of any size contact www.cmdart.org or call 508-476-
3677. CMDART is taking registration for residents who might be
interested in becoming a volunteer animal disaster responder.
Contact registrar@cmdart.org to inquire about their upcoming
training programs.

Large Animal Emergency Rescue Training at Iron Shoe Farm owned
by Wayne and Lois Tucker, held in June of this year. Roger Lauze
of the MSPCA Large Animal Emergency Response was theinstructor.
The Tuckers faced the death of two of their family draft horses since
December of last year. They hosted this training in order to help
train local responders to help aid large animals. CMDART just
received a grant of $2000 from the ASPCA to help purchase the start
of some large animal emergency response equipment.

Recently CMDART has received a few calls for help from people
facing hardship. These are owners having to surrender their animals
or seeking information about where to temporarily house them
because of eviction, foreclosure or loss of income. While re-homing
or placement of animals is not part of our service, we recognize that
not all disasters come in the form of fire or water, but in this case
are cultural and economic.

When we get calls like this, we do try to offer liaison information
about who to contact. The Worcester Animal Rescue League has
recently developed a network of foster care to help owners while
they work through issues they may be facing. A number of shelters
like WARL have begun this foster program with the goal of helping
the owner by fostering their pets or providing pet food so that the
owners don't surrender or abandon their pets to a shelter. For more
information about the Worcester Animal Rescue League go to
www.worcester-arl.org

The Massachusetts Animal Coalition is another good resource
and can be contacted at www.massanimalcoalition.org

FLOODING CREATES
OPPORTUNITIES FOR MOLD

Westfield, Mass. – In light of recent floodwaters caused by Tropical
Storm Irene. Many Massachusetts residents may find their homes
affected by storm-water damage. For those undertaking the cleanup
of their homes and businesses, the following precautions should be
taken to minimize the likelihood of mold contamination:

Flooded homes should be thoroughly dried out, a process that may
take several days or weeks;

Wet carpet and padding should be removed and discarded;

Porous materials—those that absorb water—such as sheetrock,
some paneling, fiberglass insulation, cellulose insulation, mattresses,
pillows, wallpaper and upholstered furniture should be discarded;

Sheetrock and other porous wallboards should be removed at least
12 inches above the visible water line left by the flood. Check for
wicking, the upward movement of moisture to higher levels;

Wall studs, where wallboard has been removed, should be
cleaned and allowed to dry completely;

Floors, concrete or brick walls, countertops, plastic, glass and
other non-porous materials should be washed with soap and water
and then with a solution of one to two cups of bleach to a gallon of
water and allowed to completely dry;

Wear rubber gloves and eye protection when using bleach and make
sure area is well ventilated. Don’t mix bleach and ammonia. Consider
using an N-95 rated dust mask if heavy concentrations of mold are
already growing; Materials that cannot be effectively cleaned and dried
should be placed in sealed plastic bags to prevent the spread of mold
spores; and People allergic to mold and people with asthma or other
respiratory conditionsshould not do mold cleanup.

Mold spores thrive in continuously wet conditions, and can start to
grow within 24 hours after a flood. They can cause allergy symptoms,
headaches, bronchitis, asthma attacks, lung irritation and skin rashes.
People with asthma or other pulmonary illnesses, compromised immune
systems, infants and the elderly are more likely to develop mold-related
illnesses.

More information on mold removal is available at www.redcross.org
and typing “mold” in the search box.