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4. h E.A.R.S. (Emergency Animal Rescue Service <br />After hours emergency response (e.g., after hours service for sick, injured or dangerous animals.) <br />E.A.R.S. (Emergency Animal Rescue Service) responds to calls from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. the next <br />morning on weekdays, and is on call for all 24 hours Saturday, Sunday and holidays. A <br />designated staff member takes the rescue vehicle home so as to respond immediately. <br />Emergency calls are routed through 911 and must be responded to within 5 minutes by phone. <br />The staff member must be on the road within 10 minutes. A manager is on call as backup to <br />answer questions regarding procedures/legalities or to go to the emergency site if more than one <br />person is required. The manager is on call for a week. The staff member is on call one day a <br />week. All E.A.R.S. workers and supervisors are trained in E.A.R.S. Protocol, emergency <br />techniques and courtesy, to provide the best service possible to the residents of Orange County. <br />The number of calls per shift varies from 0 to as many as 15. Types of calls include: 1) deer <br />injured and in need of euthanasia due to detached limb 2) raccoon/bat suspected of being rabid 3) <br />dog hit by car and suffering painful injuries 4) bird with broken wing 5) request by Chapel Hill <br />police to assist in pick-up of aggressive dogs 6) kittens stuck in ventilator 7) horses loose on the <br />highway, and so forth. Calls can take over one hour to complete, and often require travel to the <br />further reaches of Orange County. <br />Shelter workers frequently suffer from "burnout" due to laborious and repetitive tasks and the <br />stress inherent in caring for abused and neglected animals. E.A.R.S. provides a unique <br />opportunity for shelter staff to interact with citizens of the county in a wholly positive way, and <br />serves as an excellent public relations tool. <br />Another strong benefit is that E.A.R.S. allows staff to develop new skills and to test themselves in <br />a challenging environment. <br />30 <br />