HOW IT WORKS:
V.C. LAST stands for Valley Center LARGE
ANIMAL SAFETY TEAM, and our primary focus is to aid the community
in providing for the safety of our domestic animal populations, large
and small, in emergency situations. V.C. LAST is a
community volunteer organization, working with the Valley Center Fire
Protection District, the Valley Center Sheriff's Department, Valley
Center CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), the County of San
Diego Department of Animal Services, and the San Diego Humane Society
and SPCA.
Large Animal Safety Team members, including
animal care professionals, are trained through FEMA, CERT, the Fire
Department, and the County of San Diego Department of Animal Services
to provide assistance in the event of an emergency.
Qualified V.C. LAST team members will function under the
direction of the governmental agency authorized to handle the logistics
of a given situation, whether it be fire, flood, earthquake or some
other situation creating a danger.
V.C. LAST is compiling a "census" of the
animal population, which will be integrated with existing data
maintained by The Fire Department and law enforcement. This
information will enable emergency responders to mount an orderly and
efficient response in a disaster situation; to get where they are
needed with the appropriate equipment and personnel as quickly as
possible to provide evacuation assistance, medical aid or temporary
care for the animals in Valley Center.
In order to collect the information for this data base,
questionnaires have been circulated throughout the community.
These forms continue to be available in our local feed stores and from
veterinarians, and you may download the questionnaire through this
web-site.
While the main purpose of
V.C. LAST is to provide help for
our animals, the first concern in any emergency is the safety of
people. Our questionnaire contains a section for people with
special needs. Anyone who may not be able to handle an emergency
on their own is urged to fill out the first part of the
V.C. LAST questionnaire.
A fire official or team member will then contact you for more detail
regarding your special needs