ARE YOU FIRE READY?
Prepare now for the next fire. Fire season is now year-round. Below find things you can do today to get you and your horse ready to possibly evacuate due to a fire or other natural disaster.
- Have a "Go Bag" for you - "Go Bag" Suggested Items pdf
- Have a "Go Bucket" for your horse (any meds, diet instructions, fetlock tag or some way to identify your horse with your phone number, etc)
- Have a preparedness plan - WHO can move your horse, WHERE can you go
- Make certain your horse loads in a trailer easily - if not, practice practice practice
- If you have a trailer, keep it serviced and ready to go
- Download the Watch Duty app
- Sign up for AlertOC
- Volunteer for OCART
HOW TO PREPARE FOR EVACUATION
In the event of a fire or other natural disaster, keep informed of the evacuation orders for your neighborhood. Prepare your horse for evacuation with identification and a full Go Bucket.
Once you hear of a "Voluntary Evacuation," it is time for large animals to move! GET OUT EARLY!
Have a plan and a backup plan. What if you're stuck at work or your trailer has a flat or any other issue - have a backup plan! It could even be a neighbor or friend to move your horse. If your plan and backup plan fail, call 911 and dispatch will notify OCART. We WILL help you!
WHO IS OCART?
OCART works under the authority of the County of Orange and in conjunction with Orange County Animal Care (OCAC) to provide emergency evacuation and temporary sheltering for horses and livestock in need of evacuation during wildfires, flooding, mudslides, earthquakes, or other natural or man-made disasters.
OCART is a team of specially trained volunteers. OCART volunteers receive specialized training in safe and humane animal handling; trailer loading and transportation; operating emergency animal shelter facilities; fire behavior and safety; and other related topics.
We already have 125 trained and certified volunteers. We will have more training sessions throughout the year. Sign up as a volunteer to get on our email list to be the first to know about our next training session. Click the button to learn more about volunteering with OCART.
