In the wake of catastrophic world events, the AAEP created the Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Task Force in 2002. The World Trade Center bombings, the foot and mouth outbreak in the United Kingdom, and Hurricane Lili pounding the Gulf Coast served as a collective wake-up call to the equine veterinary community. The AAEP realized that a safety net needed to be constructed to better support its members and the equine-owning public.

Clearly the membership wasn’t used to dealing with non-medical challenges, and the issues to be discussed were diverse and needed long-term solutions. Realizing the indefinite need for focus in this area, the association converted the task force into a standing committee.

In 2004, the equine-rich Ocala, Fla., area was threatened by four hurricanes, and AAEP members were there to lead and help. Then came 2005 and the catastrophic damage to Mississippi and Louisiana from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Again, AAEP stepped up with donations and assistance.

The membership of AAEP realizes that horse owners and equine practitioners cannot rely solely on other organizations for help in times of crises. We need to step up with a comprehensive plan to better prepare for–and deal with–a wide variety of emergency and disaster situations that impact the horse community. This committee has established the following list of projects currently being developed to fill these needs:

1) Vet student education–To better prepare future veterinarians for their involvement in disaster medicine, the committee developed a presentation for the student chapters of AAEP. To date we have visited over half of the vet schools in the United States, providing them with a 1 1/2-hour presentation. The goal is to get the students thinking about how they can help prepare their families, clinics, clients, and communities for a disaster. In addition, we stimulate discussion on how they can get involved in the local, state, or national response efforts