Awareness of and solutions to health concerns
Discover ways to increase your awareness and develop solutions for events that may be encountered before, during, and after a disaster or animal health emergency.
This session satisfies core competency 3 of AVMA’s Veterinary First Responder Certificate Program. It originally was presented at AVMA Convention 2023.
Learning objectives:
- Identify general indicators and epidemiological clues that may signal the onset or exacerbation of a disaster or animal health emergency.
- Learn how to maintain situational awareness before, during, and after a disaster.
- Understand the health and fitness requirements you might encounter in an emergency or disaster environment.
Dr. Martin has been the North Carolina state veterinarian since 2021, after serving as the director of poultry health programs at the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for four years. Previously, he was associate professor at the North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine, where he was head of the poultry clinical activities and residency program. He earned his DVM and master’s degree in preventative medicine (MPVM) from the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, where he also completed his residency training in poultry medicine. He is a board-certified diplomate of the American College of Poultry Veterinarians.
Dr. Neault earned his DVM from Michigan State University in 1996. He worked as a private practitioner in mixed- and small-animal practices for 13 years. In 2008, he joined the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development as a manager of emergency programs, poultry health programs, and animal disease traceability. In 2015, he joined the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Veterinary Division as the assistant state veterinarian and director of livestock animal health programs. Since April 2021, he has served as the South Carolina state veterinarian and director of Livestock Poultry Health at Clemson University.
Throughout his career, Dr. Neault has responded to various disaster and disease events, including chronic wasting disease; low and highly pathogenic avian influenza; pet food and animal feed contamination; Hurricanes (or Superstorm) Sandy, Matthew, Florence, and Ian; and the 2010 Enbridge Kalamazoo River oil spill. He also has participated in multiple endemic and foreign animal disease investigations.
He served two terms as the president of the National Alliance of State Animal and Agricultural Emergency Programs, and two terms on AVMA’s Committee on Disaster and Emergency Issues. In 2020 he received the United States Animal Health Association’s Administrator's Award and National Assembly Service Award.