Category: Training

After wrestling for many years with having a suitable location to do readiness training and administration work, we have landed! We’re grateful to have found an affordable site to do what we need to do in central Chico.

And we’ve made use of it! Volunteers have attended over 15 training sessions these past few months on Emergency Sheltering, Radio Equipment, Evacuation, and our new animal tracking software program – Shelterly. Our Board and Committees have used it to meet and our administrative work is all getting done in the same place! We are achieving greater productivity, which is so important for fire season readiness.

Speaking of fire season readiness, look for our Public Education / Outreach volunteers at the Butte County Fair, August 24 – 27. Stop by and say Hi, and learn how to protect what you love by having an evacuation plan for your pets.

What’s an astronaut’s favorite part of a computer?

The space bar. 🤦🏽‍♂️

Is it even a Returning Volunteer Training without a handful of terrible cheesy dad jokes to kick off the day?

On Saturday, January 28th, over 130 returning NVDAG volunteers gathered together at Marsh Jr. High for a packed day of refresher training, fellowship, and skill-building. Volunteers from the original founding group back in 1998 sat alongside newer volunteers from as recent as last year’s 2022 training as well as CART members from Sonoma, Napa, and Sonora, and Central CA Animal Disaster Team. 

After housekeeping updates and a virtual tour of the future headquarters facility, Michelle Hinkle from ___ walked attendees through a powerful season on trauma and resiliency, sharing tactical tips on how to respond in high-stress situations or when you just need a reset.

The day also included presentations from volunteers deployed on some of the most recent incidents, including the Mosquito Fire, Sandra Fire, Sacramento equine, and the IFAW supply and vet assistance at the Poland/Ukraine border in Przemysl, Ponland, and during the floods in Kentucky.

Leads from the photography team, technology team, radios, and shelter all shared an update on new processes, rounded out with a Community Outreach update including a brand new future training date.

Interesting in volunteering to help animals during disasters?  Northern California animal disaster response organizations need volunteers willing to take time to train and then respond during incidents.  These groups also need year-round administrative help. 

The Halter Project just published a mini-calendar of January 2023 trainings and opportunities for New and Returning volunteers in the Northern California area.  Take a look at it here – Click here.

The initial 2-day training and orientation may sound a bit intimidating. It’s actually fascinating and the time will whiz by.

The 2023 NVADG New Volunteer training application/registration form is posted! Here’s the link for computers: http://bttr.im/kgjic

If you want to fill this out on a mobile device, here is the link: http://bttr.im/1e0x1

What you’ll find at this link is an overview of being a NVADG volunteer, our code of conduct, and an agreement to follow the code. You’ll then create a profile about yourself in our Volunteer Impact database. Volunteer Impact is how we know what you can do and what you are interested in. It’s how we email and text you. It’s how you keep NVADG current on your contact info. It’s how you sign up for training, events, and special activities.

Find out more about becoming a volunteer at our 2023 New Volunteer Training Information page. Click here.

Training for animal disaster rescue, evacuation and sheltering during Covid has given us the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The bad and the ugly are obvious! A lot of disaster training requires hands-on practice and visual cues. Hard to replicate on Zoom.

The good, however, is really good! Virtual training gives us access to resources previously out-of-reach. And by recording those trainings, more people can learn more information at times that are more convenient.

You will find more resources for training on our Regional Training Resources page. We list some in-person training done in the region by private companies that specialize in training first responders on animal rescue in emergencies/disasters. We also list some online trainings and workshops that address animal rescue training. Find it under the tab “Resources.”

Big thanks to the Halter Project for regional training information, whose page we link to. They do an outstanding job with communicating disaster preparation and training. Check out their Twitter and Facebook info for regional updates, too.