Volunteer Appreciation Week!!! 4/18-4/22

The Board of Director for CMDART and its
administration greatly appreciates the
contribution of each and every member of
our team, whether the contribution be large
or small. Thank you volunteers!!

Way to grow...
Our volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds,
training and skills. Volunteers can offer whatever time
they have in direct service for response or behind the
scenes with the organization. (More)

What is my time commitment for CMDART?
CMDART maintains a list of our trained volunteers who can
assist with preparedness efforts and crisis situations. This is
called a "Call-Down List". (More)

Order in chaos......Incident Command Training
Since Hurricanes Andrew and Katrina, requirements
for animal disaster responders and teams have grown more
demanding and some may say, more restrictive. Disasters
require volunteers who can maintain structure, skill,
humility, and strength in chaotic and traumatizing
circumstances. (More)

What then? ....Emergency Animal Sheltering.
Once you complete your application, "Introduction to
Animal Disaster Services", and Incident Command
Training 100 and 700, you are then encouraged to take
Emergency Animal Sheltering, Pet First Aid and other
courses. Though the latter are consider basic to becoming
an animal disaster responder, not everyone wishes to take
these trainings. (More)

Spontaneous volunteers...
CMDART makes every reasonable effort to insure that
only qualified volunteers respond to the emergency
facility; however, some incidents require the use of
spontaneous volunteers. CMDART is judicious about
the use of such volunteers. (More)

The real skills of disaster work...
group work and flexibility
Team members may come with wonderful animal
handling skills and think this should be enough to
join the team. While we need animal volunteers
with varied backgrounds and levels of expertise,
the most important skill volunteers need to bring
is flexibility. (More)

Is there a cost to become a volunteer?
Unlike some national organizations with larger budgets,
CMDART cannot afford to pay volunteers for
deployment expenses other than leaders who may
be pre -approved for reimbursement when operating
in official business. While CMDART has received
a few grants and donations to help with the mission
of the organization, these grants are usually
designated for specific projects, such as the purchase
of equipment or to offset the cost of trainings. (More)

Tee- shirts, ID badges, training packets...
CMDART is currently establishing a membership fee
that will cover one tee-shirt, ID badge and packet. (More)

Who is going to care for my own animals?
Volunteers must make pre-arrangements for their families,
including pets and animals, in the event they are deployed.
CMDART does not reimburse for any expense incurred for
family, pet, or animal care. (More)

What about liability...
Volunteers are trained to work within the scope of their
respective practice, licensure, training, and skill level.

Volunteers sign a waiver releasing the organization and its
affiliates from responsibility for any incident that may
occur for the volunteer during his or her time with
CMDART, whether at a disaster response or other
non-disaster event. (More)