Mission Statement
The USDA NAHERC program is a national animal reserve emergency corp. that is comprised of Veterinary Medical Officers (VMO), Animal Health Technicians and Veterinary Medical Students (AHT) assimilated into an elite cadre within Emergency Management response community. The National Animal Health Emergency Response Corps (NAHERC) started in 2001 protects public health by providing a ready reserve of private and State veterinarians and veterinarian technicians to combat threats to U.S. livestock and poultry in the event of a large outbreak of an exotic or foreign animal disease. NAHERC staff can be activated and supplement existing USDA-APHIS employees for periods of 3 weeks for domestic deployments or 30 days for international deployments. These positions are paid upon activation of the NAHERC. However, during a disaster, the size and scope of an incident can easily overwhelm conventional local or State animal health resources and could be devastating to the Cattle, Beef and Dairy industries. The NAHERC is an Emergency Response organization designed to provide large scale federal assistance during an animal event. Previously NAHERC was activated and responded to the 2001 UK FMD outbreak, the 2003 Newcastle outbreak in California and the 2002 LPAI in Virginia. When an animal health emergency occurs, having staff ready to provide an immediate response is necessary to protect both animals and human's in support of the National Response Plan and Essential Support Function #11.
Description
NAHERC staff duties during an outbreak or emergency event may include:
Companion animal care, Boarding, sheltering and evacuation, Conducting surveillance, Examining herds or flocks for signs of disease, Collecting specimens, Vaccinating animals, Conducting post-mortem examinations, Euthanizing animals, Supervising the disposal of animal carcasses, Collecting epidemiological information, Inspecting livestock markets, trucks and vehicles, exotic, avian, research animal & zoo care and duties, Other duties as assigned
To qualify, NAHERC members must meet all qualification requirements at the time of application. MINIMUM EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:
Veterinary Medical Officer - Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree, i.e., Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD), obtained at a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA).
Animal Health Technician - Life experience and/or educational experience in the animal health field. Current veterinary students apply under AHT. NAHERC WEBSITE: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ep/naherc/
FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT NAHERC:
• Call the NAHERC Coordinator at 443 253 0141
