Training

CDART offers a basic introductory training course and in-depth training courses for volunteers.

Volunteer Requirements

The basic training requirements that a new volunteer must complete in order to be qualified to take part in a disaster response are:

Until the above are completed, you can still be a volunteer with CDART and work in many different capacities during non-disaster times, but won't be able to participate in an actual disaster response.

Find out more about additional training opportunities.

"Introduction to Emergency Pet Services" Course

Training - building animal pensOnce called ("We're Family, Too ") this is an introductory course explaining and working through the administrative part of emergency animal rescue procedure and protocol when a disaster strikes or when emergencies happen. 

You don't have to be an existing registered CDART volunteer in order to be able to take this course. Some people take the course first and then decide to become a volunteer.

Information on the next available course is below:

Date: Saturday, September 18th, 2010
Time: 9:00am - 5:00pm
Location: upstairs at Choices Markets in Kelowna, 1937 Harvey Ave. (Hwy 97)
Cost: $35.00 per person. (Returning, trained CDART volunteers are welcome at no charge but must register nonetheless)

If you're interested in taking the course, or know someone else who is, you can download the PDF application form below, to print off and fill out:

Introduction to Emergency Pet Services course application form

The completed form with payment cheque can be mailed to:

Canadian Disaster Animal Response Team
113 – 437 Martin Street
Penticton, BC V2A 5L1

Any questions about this course? Contact Deborah Silk deborah.silk@cdart.org.

Introduction to Emergency Social Services (ESS) Course

The Introduction to Emergency Social Services (ESS) Modules 1 & 2 course is available throughout the year, either online or through correspondence. This course is offered through the Justice Institute of BC (www.jibc.ca). 

This is a free course and is open to the public for anyone to take. View course info on the JIBC web site.

ESS Registration Forms & Referrals Course

Our local Emergency Social Services providers offer training on how to fill out their Registration Forms and Referrals Forms (the "people" forms) several times throughout the year. 

This is a free course and is open to the public for anyone to take.

On occasion, an ESS representative may join us at a CDART monthly meeting and provide this course during the meeting for our volunteers as a refresher.

We will post information about the next available course/s here, as soon as ESS sets a date, time and location.

Additional Training  

VolunteersThere is more in-depth training which prepares members to function as a team and to physically perform in a disaster with specific animals. In addition, CDART members attend conferences and meetings where they are participants or speakers or both.

Some of the additional training opportunities include:

 

Emergency First Aid for Companion Animals Course

Whiskers and Woofers, located at 3520 Preston Road in West Kelowna, BC, hosted a one-day pet first aid course on both Sat July 24 and Sun July 25, 2010 from 9am-5pm.  This was a certification course.

This course was available to the public as well! Cost included lunch, and was $65.00 per person for the public and $55.00 for registered CDART volunteers.

Our instructor was Heather Ferguson, CDART's new Lower Mainland Coordinator and an instructor with St. John's Ambulance. Some of the things participants learned include pet CPR, choking, poisoning, allergic reactions, wound care, signs and symptoms of shock, dehydration, seizures and much more!

We will be offering Pet First aid courses ongoing in the future as well. We will post the information for next available courses here when dates are set.  If you are interested in taking this course in the future, let us know now! E-mail Sandee Kristensen at sanmont@telus.net.