"Preparing Pets for Disaster"

**September 16, 2006: Getting to know your Guest Speakers...**

**Judy Day, Volunteer, American Red Cross Certified Pet First Aid
Instructor**

Judy has been a volunteer with Red Cross NCA for over 5 years in a wide
spectrum of activities. Her involvement has included being a Volunteer
Coordinator, Disaster Action Team member and facilitator for New
Volunteer Orientations. She has been a certified Pet First Aid
instructor for 4 ½ years. Judy has had years of personal experience with
geriatric animals. She has a 21 year old cat, Pepper, and has just
recently lost her 19 ½ year old dog, Barkley.

Judy has spent most of her free time volunteering for her community,
first with Girl Scouts for 18 years and more recently with Red Cross.

**Barb Hartman, Noah\'s Wish Region 8 Coordinator (Emergency Responder
in fire, flood and hurricane)**

Barb is known for her communication skills and incredible patience,
which she has fine-tuned in her position as a middle school math
teacher.   As Barb says, \"Teachers have the summers off so they can
regenerate their patience.\"  During her breaks from the classroom, Barb
looks for ways to help animals.  As part of the Noah\'s Wish team she is
able to fulfill this desire.  If we need someone to \"do the math\" to
count animals, she\'s definitely the person to ask!  Having responded to
a flood, Barb gained valuable experience in search and rescue, and
community outreach.  In addition to learning from this hands-on
experience, Barb has also completed 13 FEMA courses, is Red Cross CPR
and First Aid trained, and she is a member of CERT (Community Emergency
Response Team) in Arlington County, Virginia. Doing presentations is
like breathing for "teacher Barb\" at this point! \--She does
volunteer education outreach about pets in disaster, working
closely with her also local colleague and another Noah\'s Wish
Region 8 Coordinator, Bev Westerman. 

After spending a day in the classroom or responding to a disaster, Barb
returns home to her four-legged kids, Mattie and Jesse, cats rescued
from a flood in West Virginia and Jordan and Mulligan, two rescued
Border Collies.

 

**Andrew Sanderson, Fairfax County Animal Services Sgt/Animal Control
Supervisor**

Andy has worked with the Fairfax County Police Dept./Animal Control for
eight and a half years. He is Supervisor of the "A" crew of 6, one of
the 2 Animal Control teams that work either the day or night shift. He
is a member of the Fairfax County Task Force, National Animal Control
Association (NACA), Virginia Animal Control Association (VACA), and has
National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Crime Scene
Certifications. In July, Andy will add being a Certified Law Enforcement
Instructor to his numerous professional designations. Known as the
"resident expert" on animal hoarding, Andy trains on the topic as well
as responding to incidents of animal hoarding within the county. He is
one of only four people in Fairfax County that specialize in the
investigation of hoarding reports, called in if animals are involved and
assisting in such prosecution cases.

Andy is "proud papa" of a 4 year old Shih-Tzu, named Brattie.

**Beverly Westerman, Noah\'s Wish Region 8 Coordinator (Emergency
Responder in fire, flood and hurricane)** 

Having Bev around provides increased comfort and safety for both animals
and people.  She has taken a course in massage therapy for canines and
is also certified in animal first aid and CPR.  As an Associate
Professor and Certified Athletic Trainer at George Washington
University, Bev teaches and works with collegiate athletes who are
injured, overseeing their rehabilitation and establishing preventative
treatment against further injuries.  With Bev on site during a disaster,
Noah\'s Wish has a professional to make sure everything is done right to
keep people safe.  Bev is also an American Red Cross CPR, First Aid, AED
instructor and an instructor trainer, in addition to being a former
Emergency Medical Technician.  After joining the Noah\'s Wish team, Bev
has expanded her skills by completing 8 FEMA courses and becoming a
member of CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) in Arlington County,
Virginia. Already instructing and helping people for years on the job,
Bev volunteers in her community education about all aspects of pets in
disaster, with nearby resident and fellow Region 8 Coordinator Barb
Hartman.  

Bev\'s four-legged companions include Kimmie, a West Virginia Mountain
Hound dog found in a flood, a rescued Border Collie/Lab mix named
Bunker, and 3 cats, Miss Gray, Gibby and Ivan (rescued during Hurricane
Ivan).

  

**John White, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief**

John has 33 years in his long career with Fairfax County Fire and
Rescue.  His assignments have included Firefighter at Reston for 3
years, Fire and Arson Investigation for 5 years, Public Life Safety
Education Supervisor for 3 years, Academy Instructor (Recruits and
In-service) 2 years, and another 2 years as Station Commander in
Vienna.  He was promoted to Battalion Chief in 1989.  Working in field
operations until 1999, John then transferred to the Fire Marshal\'s
Office and is now supervisor of fire prevention services (code
enforcement).  He has been an ongoing speaker on the topic of disaster
preparedness, with a specialty in instruction on how to deal with
\"rapid onset emergencies.\"  (Fire, being a \"natural\" focus for him,
of course!  But, also because it is the most commonly occurring
and deadly rapid onset emergency.)   He has also volunteered as expert
speaker with Metropets, among other educational venues.

 

\"Dad\" to a family of rabbits (currently 6) and a founding board member
of RabbitWise Inc. (a rabbit advocacy and education group), John is up
on the \"business of bunnies!\"

  

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**Sponsored by the Fairfax Office of**

**The American Red Cross of the National Capital
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