Photo: Alert
The Animal Lifeline Emergency Response Team (ALERT) has published its first initial training day for those who want to be part of a team dedicated to assisting animals in emergencies.
ALERT works with emergency authorities and personnel to enter evacuation zones and care for animals in need when their owners cannot.
Information Officer Darryl Myers said the Emergency Pet Services 101 training course will provide participants with the basics and various volunteer opportunities.
“People can become disaster responders and go out and respond to disasters,” she added. “Volunteers can provide educational opportunities to the public. They can also work behind the scenes handling paperwork. There are many roles that volunteers can fill.”
This course also covers the history of ALERT and some of the responses it has worked on, as well as how the incident command works with the emergency operations center.
“So at the end of the day, they’re considered trained,” Myers said. “We provide other training opportunities after they receive their initial training, but then they are primed, ready to be called to a response, and just become full-fledged members of the team.” is.”
Three classes will be held in Penticton, Oliver, and Kelowna, and each class will have a capacity of 12 to 15 students.
Although he has been flooded with offers to volunteer to help the team during emergencies, Myers said that is not an option at this time.
“Everybody would want to help then, and we can’t take volunteers then because we just don’t have time to train them, they’re not trained and our insurance won’t cover them. We strongly encourage you to register now.”
ALERT’s off-season typically begins in the fall and lasts until early spring, making it a perfect opportunity for interested joiners to learn the basics.
Myers added, “We are excited to welcome new volunteers. There are many opportunities.” “We need young people so much.”
“A lot of our work is hands-on, grunt work, so to speak, and I think it would be really great if young people could come out and help with that.”
For those interested in taking the ALERT training course, classes in Penticton will be held on October 15th, classes in Oliver will be held on October 22nd, and classes in Kelowna will be held on November 5th.From 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Class registration fee is $65 and includes course tuition, registration fee, and ALERT uniform T-shirt. Email [email protected] Sign up on the registration form.
Photo: Alert
