Emergency preparedness is an essential component of workplace health and safety management.

Occupational Therapists working with assistance animals may practise across a wide range of environments, including:

• client homes;
• community settings;
• schools;
• workplaces;
• hospitals;
• healthcare facilities;
• aged-care services;
• public spaces;
• transport environments;
• assistance animal organisations; and
• animal training environments.

Each setting may present different emergency risks and require different arrangements.

Effective emergency planning should recognise that emergencies involving assistance animal partnerships may affect not only the person or practitioner but also the assistance animal, other people, continuity of disability-related support and animal welfare.

Occupational Therapists may contribute by identifying foreseeable risks, supporting emergency planning, educating clients, considering accessibility and collaborating with others to ensure emergency procedures address the needs of both the person and the assistance animal.

Understanding Emergencies

An emergency is a situation that presents an immediate or significant threat to the health, safety or wellbeing of people or animals, property or the environment.

Emergencies may develop suddenly or evolve over time and may require rapid decision-making under stressful conditions.

Examples may include:

• fire;
• flood;
• bushfire;
• severe storms;
• extreme heat or cold;
• earthquakes or other natural hazards;
• medical emergencies;
• animal health or welfare emergencies;
• aggressive behaviour;
• occupational violence;
• security incidents;
• chemical spills;
• gas leaks;
• structural failures;
• infectious disease outbreaks;
• equipment failure;
• transport incidents;
• loss of essential utilities; or
• another event creating an immediate or significant risk.

The appropriate response depends on:

• the nature of the emergency;
• severity;
• people involved;
• animals involved;
• environment;
• accessibility requirements;
• available resources;
• professional responsibilities; and
• immediate priorities for life and safety.

Emergency planning should therefore be proportionate to the foreseeable circumstances rather than based on a single generic response.

Emergency Planning

Emergency planning aims to minimise harm by identifying foreseeable emergency situations and establishing appropriate arrangements before an emergency occurs.

Planning should be proportionate to:

• the nature of the work;
• workplace or service environment;
• foreseeable hazards;
• people involved;
• assistance animal;
• available resources;
• accessibility requirements; and
• potential consequences of an emergency.

Emergency plans may consider:

• foreseeable emergency scenarios;
• evacuation procedures;
• emergency contacts;
• communication methods;
• responsibilities of workers;
• responsibilities of relevant organisations;
• client involvement and preferences;
• accessibility requirements;
• emergency service access;
• transport;
• medical requirements;
• assistance animal welfare;
• veterinary care;
• emergency equipment;
• temporary separation arrangements;
• continuity of assistance animal care;
• continuity of disability-related support;
• recovery arrangements; and
• review following an emergency.

Emergency planning should be integrated into organisational WHS systems rather than treated as an isolated document.

Emergency Equipment and Resources

Emergency planning is only effective where the resources required to implement the plan are available and functional.

Depending on the workplace and foreseeable emergencies, relevant emergency equipment and resources may include:

• first aid kits;
• automated external defibrillators where provided;
• fire extinguishers;
• fire blankets;
• evacuation equipment;
• emergency lighting;
• communication devices;
• duress alarms;
• spill-response equipment;
• emergency signage;
• emergency contact information;
• animal first aid supplies;
• spare leads or appropriate animal restraint equipment;
• animal transport equipment;
• emergency water;
• animal food;
• cooling or weather-protection resources;
• essential medications where appropriate; or
• other resources identified through risk assessment.

Not every AAOT workplace requires the same equipment.

A sole practitioner undertaking community visits may reasonably require a different emergency system from a hospital, school, large multidisciplinary service or assistance animal training facility.

The appropriate question is:

What emergency resources are reasonably required for the work, hazards and environments involved?

Availability and Accessibility

Emergency equipment and resources should be:

• available where required;
• reasonably accessible;
• appropriately located;
• identifiable;
• suitable for their intended purpose;
• functional;
• capable of being used by the people expected to use them; and
• appropriate to foreseeable emergency circumstances.

Accessibility may require consideration of:

• physical accessibility;
• reach;
• storage height;
• mobility requirements;
• visual accessibility;
• communication needs;
• sensory accessibility;
• signage;
• lighting; and
• whether the person can actually access the resource during an emergency.

For example, emergency information stored only in a location that the person cannot independently access may not provide an effective control.

Similarly, a first aid kit that is present but locked away without an accessible retrieval process may provide limited practical protection.

Inspection and Maintenance of Emergency Equipment

Emergency resources should remain safe and functional over time.

Depending on the equipment, inspection and maintenance may include:

• scheduled inspections;
• checking first aid supplies;
• replenishing used items;
• monitoring expiry dates;
• checking batteries;
• testing communication equipment;
• checking duress systems;
• inspecting evacuation equipment;
• checking emergency lighting;
• arranging required servicing of fire-safety equipment;
• checking animal first aid supplies;
• checking stored animal food or medications where relevant;
• checking transport equipment; and
• confirming emergency contact information remains current.

Inspection frequency should reflect:

• equipment type;
• manufacturer instructions;
• applicable law or standards;
• organisational requirements;
• environmental conditions;
• frequency of use; and
• level of risk.

Responsibility for Emergency Resources

Responsibility for emergency equipment should be clear.

Organisational arrangements may identify who is responsible for:

• inspections;
• replenishment;
• reporting defects;
• arranging maintenance;
• replacing expired or damaged items;
• updating emergency information;
• keeping records; and
• escalating significant deficiencies.

Responsibility should not simply be assumed.

Where multiple organisations share a workplace, responsibility may require consultation and coordination.

For example, an AAOT working within a school or hospital may rely on some emergency equipment provided by that organisation while retaining responsibility for other practice-specific resources.

Assistance Animal Emergency Resources

Emergency resources may also need to address the assistance animal.

Depending on the team and practice environment, relevant resources might include:

• spare lead;
• harness or essential working equipment;
• animal identification;
• emergency veterinary information;
• medication;
• animal first aid supplies;
• water;
• food;
• collapsible bowls;
• waste-management supplies;
• protective footwear;
• cooling resources;
• crate or transport equipment;
• temporary-care information; or
• other individualised resources.

A generic animal emergency kit should not replace individual planning.

Resources should reflect:

• the animal;
• type of work;
• health requirements;
• local hazards;
• climate;
• travel;
• likely emergency scenarios; and
• available support arrangements.

Person-Centred and Animal-Inclusive Emergency Planning

Assistance animal emergency planning involves two interdependent participants:

the person + the assistance animal

A plan that considers the person’s needs but ignores the assistance animal may be ineffective.

Similarly, a plan that protects the animal without considering the person’s disability-related reliance on that animal may create additional risk.

Planning should therefore consider:

What does the person require to remain safe and supported during the emergency?

What does the assistance animal require to remain safe and appropriately cared for?

What happens if the person and animal cannot remain together temporarily?

What happens if either member of the partnership becomes unable to perform their usual role?

The person’s preferences should be incorporated into emergency planning wherever possible.

The Occupational Therapist’s Role During Emergencies

Occupational Therapists are not ordinarily emergency responders solely because of their professional role.

However, they may have important responsibilities before, during and after an emergency.

Depending on the circumstances, responsibilities may include:

• following organisational emergency procedures;
• recognising when emergency assistance is required;
• contacting emergency services where appropriate;
• providing first aid within training and competence;
• supporting clients within professional scope;
• considering accessibility requirements;
• facilitating safe evacuation where appropriate;
• communicating relevant disability-related needs;
• protecting assistance animal welfare;
• communicating with emergency personnel;
• implementing relevant contingency arrangements;
• escalating concerns;
• documenting the event; and
• participating in post-emergency review.

Occupational Therapists should not place themselves, clients, assistance animals or other people at unnecessary risk.

Supporting Clients During Emergencies

People who use assistance animals may experience additional barriers during emergencies.

Factors influencing emergency response may include:

• mobility requirements;
• sensory differences or impairments;
• communication requirements;
• cognitive disability;
• psychosocial disability or mental health needs;
• fatigue;
• pain;
• reliance on specialised equipment;
• reliance on medication;
• difficulty using stairs;
• inability to use conventional evacuation routes;
• reliance on support people;
• reliance on the assistance animal for safety or independence; and
• functional consequences of separation from the assistance animal.

Emergency procedures should be adapted where reasonably practicable to support safe and equitable participation.

A disability or need for assistance should not itself be treated as evidence that a person cannot participate in emergency planning.

Accessible Emergency Communication

Emergency communication should be:

• calm;
• concise;
• accurate;
• timely; and
• accessible.

Depending on the person, communication may require:

• verbal information;
• written instructions;
• visual information;
• augmentative and alternative communication;
• Easy Read;
• interpreters;
• Auslan or other communication support;
• captions;
• text-based communication;
• consideration of hearing or vision impairment;
• additional processing time where circumstances allow; or
• another individualised method.

Where possible, preferred emergency communication methods should be identified before an emergency occurs.

Emergency planning should also consider what information may need to be available if the person temporarily cannot communicate.

Emergency Evacuation with Assistance Animals

Where possible and safe, assistance animals should remain with the person during evacuation.

Emergency evacuation planning should consider:

• accessible evacuation routes;
• alternative exits;
• safe assembly areas;
• whether the person requires assistance;
• how the assistance animal will exit;
• animal behaviour during alarms, crowds or unfamiliar movement;
• availability of necessary equipment;
• transport arrangements;
• access to water;
• toileting needs;
• opportunities for rest;
• emergency identification;
• emergency supplies;
• extreme temperatures or weather;
• where the animal will be accommodated following evacuation; and
• what will occur if the team cannot remain together.

Alarms, crowds, emergency personnel, unusual routes and disrupted routines may affect both the person and assistance animal.

Assistance animals should therefore be incorporated into evacuation planning rather than treated as an additional issue only after an emergency occurs.

Emergency Separation and Continuity Planning

Keeping the assistance animal and handler together should be supported wherever this is safe and practicable.

However, emergencies may sometimes result in temporary separation.

This may occur where:

• the handler is unconscious;
• the handler cannot communicate;
• the handler experiences a serious medical emergency;
• ambulance transport is required;
• hospital admission occurs;
• the handler temporarily cannot physically manage or care for the animal;
• the assistance animal becomes injured or seriously unwell;
• veterinary hospitalisation is required;
• the emergency environment cannot safely accommodate the animal;
• evacuation arrangements temporarily prevent the team remaining together; or
• another circumstance means remaining together would create an unacceptable risk.

Separation should not be the default merely because an emergency has occurred.

Where separation is necessary, the aim should be to:

• protect immediate health and safety;
• minimise unnecessary separation;
• maintain appropriate animal care;
• maintain disability-related support for the person;
• preserve the working partnership where possible; and
• support reunification when safe and appropriate.

Planning for Handler Incapacity

Emergency plans should consider what will occur if the handler cannot make or communicate decisions about the assistance animal.

A continuity plan may identify:

• authorised emergency carers;
• primary and alternative emergency contacts;
• who may collect the animal;
• where the animal can safely stay;
• transport arrangements;
• veterinarian details;
• emergency veterinary providers;
• relevant health information;
• medications;
• feeding requirements;
• toileting routines;
• behavioural and handling information;
• equipment requirements;
• relevant commands or communication;
• emergency financial arrangements where applicable; and
• arrangements for reunification.

The plan should be sufficiently practical that it can be implemented without relying on the handler being able to coordinate arrangements during the emergency.

Authorised Temporary Carers

Where appropriate, an assistance animal team should identify one or more people who could temporarily care for the animal during an emergency.

A temporary carer may need to understand:

• safe handling;
• normal routine;
• feeding;
• medication;
• toileting;
• relevant equipment;
• important commands or communication;
• significant behavioural considerations;
• signs of illness or distress;
• when veterinary assistance is required; and
• who to contact if circumstances change.

A temporary carer does not necessarily need to be able to use the animal’s trained disability-related tasks.

Their role is primarily to maintain the animal’s:

• safety;
• health;
• welfare;
• routine; and
• continuity of care

until the handler can resume care or another appropriate arrangement is implemented.

Emergency Information for the Assistance Animal

Relevant animal emergency information should be readily accessible.

Depending on individual circumstances, this may include:

• animal name;
• identifying information;
• microchip information where relevant;
• veterinarian details;
• emergency veterinary provider;
• emergency carer contacts;
• medication and dosage information;
• significant health conditions;
• allergies;
• dietary requirements;
• feeding instructions;
• handling considerations;
• behavioural information;
• toileting routine;
• equipment information; and
• other information necessary for safe temporary care.

Where the person wishes, information may also identify the animal as an assistance animal and explain that separation may have disability-related consequences for the handler.

Only information reasonably necessary for safe emergency management should be shared.

Ambulance and Hospital Transfer

Emergency planning should consider circumstances in which a handler requires ambulance transport or hospital admission.

No single arrangement will be appropriate for every person, assistance animal, ambulance service, healthcare facility or emergency.

Relevant considerations may include:

• disability-related reliance on the assistance animal;
• whether the animal can safely accompany the person;
• immediate medical circumstances;
• animal behaviour and welfare;
• infection-prevention requirements;
• clinical requirements;
• space and safety considerations;
• emergency-service procedures;
• healthcare-facility requirements;
• availability of a support person;
• temporary animal-care arrangements; and
• plans for reunification.

Necessary medical treatment should not be delayed while longer-term animal-care arrangements are organised.

However, the assistance animal should not simply be left unattended or without an appropriate care pathway.

Where temporary separation is necessary, responsibility for the animal should be transferred to an appropriate person or service as soon as reasonably practicable.

When the Assistance Animal Becomes Unable to Work

Continuity planning should also consider emergencies affecting the assistance animal.

Examples may include:

• sudden illness;
• collapse;
• traumatic injury;
• heat-related illness;
• poisoning;
• severe allergic reaction;
• behavioural distress;
• veterinary hospitalisation; or
• equipment failure that prevents safe working.

Where the animal becomes temporarily unavailable, the handler may also lose an important disability-related support.

The impact may involve:

• mobility;
• medical alert or response;
• safety;
• communication;
• emotional regulation;
• navigation;
• independence;
• employment;
• education;
• transport; or
• community participation.

Planning should therefore consider appropriate alternative or supplementary arrangements.

These might include:

• assistance from another person;
• formal or informal supports;
• assistive technology;
• alternative mobility or safety strategies;
• environmental modification;
• transport assistance;
• temporary workplace or educational adjustments;
• modification of activities; or
• postponement of particular activities where no safe alternative is available.

An alternative support should not automatically be assumed to provide an equivalent function to the person’s assistance animal.

Emergency Kits

Clients who regularly work with assistance animals should be supported to consider an emergency kit appropriate to their individual circumstances.

An emergency kit may include:

• human medications;
• animal medications;
• emergency contact information;
• emergency carer details;
• copies of important documentation;
• human first aid supplies;
• animal first aid supplies where appropriate;
• animal food;
• water;
• bowls;
• spare lead;
• spare harness or essential working equipment;
• waste-disposal supplies;
• veterinary contact details;
• relevant animal identification and health information;
• written temporary-care instructions; and
• information explaining the assistance animal’s role where this may assist emergency personnel.

Not every team requires identical emergency supplies.

Contents should reflect:

• individual health needs;
• animal needs;
• local risks;
• likely emergencies;
• travel;
• climate;
• medication requirements; and
• available supports.

Emergency supplies should be checked periodically and following relevant changes to ensure:

• medications remain current;
• food remains suitable;
• equipment remains functional;
• contact information is accurate; and
• contents continue to meet the team’s needs.

Access to Essential Animal Resources

Emergency planning should consider how an authorised person can access essential animal resources if the handler cannot provide instructions.

These may include:

• food;
• water;
• medications;
• leads;
• harnesses;
• crates or restraint systems;
• bedding;
• identification;
• veterinary information;
• waste-management supplies; and
• other essential equipment.

Resources and instructions should be stored or documented in a manner that makes them reasonably accessible during an emergency.

Medical Emergencies

Occupational Therapists may encounter medical emergencies involving:

• clients;
• colleagues;
• support people;
• visitors; or
• members of the public.

Examples may include:

• seizures;
• cardiac events;
• respiratory distress;
• anaphylaxis;
• diabetic emergencies;
• loss of consciousness;
• serious falls; or
• another acute medical event.

Occupational Therapists should:

• assess immediate safety;
• follow relevant organisational procedures;
• contact emergency services where required;
• provide first aid within training and competence;
• communicate relevant information;
• support accessibility requirements where possible;
• consider management and welfare of the assistance animal; and
• implement relevant emergency continuity arrangements.

Where the person using the assistance animal is experiencing the emergency, management of the animal should occur alongside—not instead of—urgent care for the person.

Assistance Animal Health and Welfare Emergencies

Emergencies involving assistance animals require timely assessment and appropriate action.

Examples may include:

• collapse;
• sudden illness;
• heat stress or heat stroke;
• traumatic injury;
• poisoning;
• severe allergic reaction;
• acute pain;
• breathing difficulties;
• serious animal-to-animal incidents;
• behavioural distress;
• equipment-related injury; or
• another event requiring urgent veterinary assessment.

Occupational Therapists should recognise the limits of their professional scope and competence.

Where urgent veterinary care is required, it should be sought promptly.

Immediate actions may include:

• removing the animal from further danger;
• providing animal first aid within training and competence;
• contacting a veterinarian or emergency veterinary service;
• arranging transport;
• notifying the handler or authorised person;
• managing risks to other people or animals; and
• activating continuity arrangements for the handler where the animal can no longer work.

Infection Control During Emergencies

Some emergencies may create or increase biological and infection risks.

Examples include:

• infectious disease outbreaks;
• exposure to blood or bodily fluids;
• animal waste;
• contaminated equipment;
• zoonotic disease concerns;
• bites or scratches; or
• environmental contamination.

Depending on circumstances, controls may include:

• hand hygiene;
• appropriate PPE;
• isolation or separation where required;
• environmental cleaning;
• safe management of contaminated materials;
• appropriate waste disposal;
• medical or veterinary assessment; and
• compliance with applicable public-health, biosecurity or organisational requirements.

Current advice from relevant authorities and organisational procedures should guide decision-making.

Communication with Emergency Responders

Emergency responders may not be familiar with the individual assistance animal team.

Where relevant and possible, practitioners or support people may communicate information such as:

• the person’s communication requirements;
• mobility or accessibility needs;
• the assistance animal’s role;
• whether separation may create additional disability-related risk;
• how the animal should be handled;
• relevant medical or veterinary information;
• location of essential equipment;
• emergency carer details; and
• known contingency arrangements.

Information should be concise and limited to what is relevant to safe emergency management.

Emergency responders retain responsibility for decisions within their own professional roles and operational requirements.

Consent, Privacy and Information Sharing

Emergency and continuity planning should be developed collaboratively with the person using the assistance animal wherever possible.

The person should have meaningful involvement in decisions about:

• who may be contacted;
• who may temporarily care for the animal;
• preferred veterinary providers;
• where the animal may stay;
• what information may be shared;
• preferred support arrangements;
• reunification arrangements; and
• circumstances in which particular options should or should not be used.

Only information reasonably necessary for safe emergency management should be shared.

Where the person cannot communicate during an emergency, practitioners should act consistently with:

• applicable law;
• professional obligations;
• organisational procedures;
• emergency requirements; and
• the person’s known preferences and arrangements.

Recovery Following an Emergency

Emergency management does not end when the immediate danger has passed.

Recovery may involve both the person and assistance animal.

For the person, this may include:

• physical wellbeing;
• psychological wellbeing;
• confidence;
• occupational participation;
• access to disability-related supports;
• replacement of essential equipment; and
• additional professional support.

For the assistance animal, recovery may include:

• veterinary assessment;
• physical recovery;
• monitoring behavioural changes;
• stress responses;
• rest;
• gradual return to work;
• equipment replacement;
• review by an appropriately qualified trainer or behaviour professional; and
• temporary or permanent modification of workload where required.

Organisational recovery may include:

• incident reporting;
• investigation;
• reviewing emergency procedures;
• replacing damaged equipment;
• updating risk assessments;
• identifying corrective actions;
• reviewing communication;
• updating continuity plans; and
• documenting lessons learned.

Recovery should be individualised rather than assuming that every person or animal will respond to an emergency in the same way.

Reviewing Emergency and Continuity Plans

Emergency arrangements should be reviewed when circumstances change.

Relevant changes may include:

• the person’s health;
• functional needs;
• communication requirements;
• medication;
• assistance animal health;
• animal behaviour;
• animal working status;
• emergency contacts;
• temporary carers;
• veterinary providers;
• residential arrangements;
• employment or education;
• transport;
• equipment;
• local hazards;
• organisational procedures; or
• relevant legal or regulatory requirements.

Plans should also be reviewed following:

• an emergency;
• incident or near miss;
• evacuation;
• drill;
• identification of a new hazard; or
• evidence that an existing arrangement did not work as intended.

An emergency plan containing outdated contacts or impractical arrangements may provide little protection when actually required.

Practising and Testing Emergency Procedures

Emergency plans are more effective when relevant procedures have been considered and, where appropriate, practised before an emergency occurs.

Organisations may use:

• evacuation drills;
• lockdown exercises;
• tabletop scenarios;
• emergency communication testing;
• first aid simulations;
• equipment-access checks;
• duress-alarm testing; and
• scenario-based review of continuity arrangements.

Testing should consider not only whether participants followed the planned steps but whether:

• emergency equipment was accessible;
• communication systems functioned;
• responsibilities were understood;
• reasonable adjustments worked;
• evacuation routes were practicable;
• animal management arrangements were effective;
• continuity arrangements could be implemented; and
• any unexpected barriers arose.

Following a drill or simulation, relevant findings should be documented and used to improve emergency arrangements.

Assistance animal teams may participate in appropriate emergency preparation where this provides a genuine safety benefit.

Practice should be:

• proportionate;
• safe;
• accessible;
• adapted to the person;
• appropriate for the animal; and
• designed to avoid unnecessary distress.

An assistance animal should not be deliberately exposed to excessive fear or stress merely to reproduce an emergency realistically.

Simulation, gradual familiarisation and lower-intensity exercises may provide safer alternatives.

Example – Handler Medical Emergency

An Occupational Therapist is completing an assessment with a client and their assistance dog when the client suddenly loses consciousness.

The immediate priority is the client’s medical emergency.

The Occupational Therapist:

1. assesses immediate safety;
2. seeks emergency medical assistance;
3. provides first aid within their competence;
4. follows relevant emergency procedures;
5. ensures the assistance dog is safe without unnecessarily interfering with trained emergency-response behaviour;
6. provides emergency personnel with relevant information;
7. identifies whether the dog can accompany the client;
8. if temporary separation is required, contacts the client’s nominated emergency carer;
9. ensures responsibility for the dog is transferred to an appropriate person;
10. ensures relevant food, medication, equipment and veterinary information can be accessed; and
11. documents and reviews the event after the immediate emergency has been managed.

The client’s treatment should not be delayed while longer-term arrangements for the animal are organised.

At the same time, the assistance dog should not be left without an appropriate care plan simply because the handler cannot communicate.

This demonstrates why continuity arrangements should be established before an emergency occurs.

Example – Assistance Animal Veterinary Emergency

During a community mobility assessment, an assistance dog suddenly becomes unwell and requires urgent veterinary assessment.

The Occupational Therapist considers:

• immediate animal welfare;
• safe cessation of the activity;
• veterinary assistance;
• transport;
• the handler’s disability-related reliance on the animal;
• how the handler will safely return home;
• alternative support required while the dog is unavailable;
• communication with relevant supports; and
• whether the incident indicates a need to review workload, environmental conditions or other controls.

The animal’s veterinary emergency and the handler’s support needs are managed simultaneously rather than treating one as unrelated to the other.

Example – Emergency Equipment Failure

An Occupational Therapist working within an assistance animal service prepares for a scheduled emergency exercise.

During the pre-exercise check, staff discover that:

• emergency contact details are outdated;
• one communication device has a depleted battery;
• part of the first aid kit has passed its expiry date; and
• the nominated temporary animal-care contact is no longer available.

No emergency has yet occurred, but the review demonstrates that the existing emergency plan could not be implemented reliably.

Appropriate action includes:

• updating emergency contacts;
• restoring or replacing communication equipment;
• replenishing first aid supplies;
• identifying an alternative authorised animal carer;
• documenting corrective actions; and
• reviewing responsibility for future equipment checks.

This illustrates why emergency preparedness requires both:

planning

and

verification that the resources required to implement the plan remain functional.

Key Practice Principles

Emergency preparedness within assistance animal practice should recognise that the safety and functioning of the person and assistance animal are interconnected.

Occupational Therapists should support emergency arrangements that:

• anticipate foreseeable emergencies;
• are proportionate to the practice context;
• are accessible and person-centred;
• incorporate assistance animal welfare;
• identify required emergency resources and equipment;
• ensure emergency resources remain accessible and functional;
• clarify responsibilities;
• support the team remaining together where safe and practicable;
• prepare for temporary separation where it cannot be avoided;
• establish continuity of animal care if the handler becomes incapacitated;
• establish continuity of disability-related support if the animal becomes unavailable;
• identify emergency contacts and temporary carers;
• support clear and accessible communication;
• respect consent and privacy;
• recognise professional scope;
• prioritise immediate life and safety needs;
• support recovery;
• are reviewed when circumstances change; and
• are practised and tested where appropriate.

Keeping the team together should be supported wherever this is safe and practicable, but emergency planning must also prepare for circumstances in which temporary separation cannot be avoided.

Where separation occurs, it should be safe, proportionate and as minimally disruptive as reasonably practicable, with clear arrangements for both:

the person’s continuity of support

and

the animal’s continuity of care.

Effective emergency management is therefore not simply a matter of evacuation or immediate crisis response.

It involves:

preparation + equipment + accessibility + communication + response + continuity + animal welfare + recovery + testing + review

so that both members of the assistance animal partnership can be protected when unexpected events occur.