USARK just received this request for Help from Charles Seifert Miami-Dade Fire & Rescue Venom Response Team (Venom 1).

Dear Concerned Citizens, 14 July, 2009



This letter is being sent to you to enlist your help and support in keeping the Venom Response Team from Miami Dade Fire Rescue alive, and able to provide community services and assist you in the event of an emergency.

As you are probably aware, MDFR’s Venom Response Team maintains the largest, most comprehensive, anti-venom bank in the United States. We are currently available for emergency responses on a 24/7 basis and can deploy and deliver 50 different anti-venom quickly throughout the State of Florida and beyond. Additionally, we respond to over 400 Africanized Bee calls a year (mitigating the situation if possible), as well as animal rescue calls in our county. We also provide community outreach, Envenomation Management and Africanized Bee Response Training for other agencies and “Dangerous Critters” education for many schools, public gatherings and private groups.



Budget cuts in our department are threatening our unit and our response capabilities. We could easily be cut back to skeleton staffing, which will eliminate many services and significantly slow our response times. We are doing everything we can to prevent these cuts but we need YOUR help!



Please take a moment to e-mail or call the Mayor’s Office and Miami Dade County Commissioners listed below and let them know how our program is important to you, your company, clients, or group. Our response and education area is not limited to Dade County so your voices need to be heard to let the Commissioners know that you do care and don’t want Venom Response to be dismantled. Their meeting to decide on cuts is upcoming July 21, 2009, please make your voices heard before that date.



Our services are important to many, in and out of the Dade County area, and we want to continue to be here for you. Today our unit’s life is in your hands. Please feel free to forward this to any of your contacts. The more voices they hear the better! Thank you in advance for your support and assistance.



Best Regards,

Charles



MDFR Venom Response Team – 786-331-4444 mdfrantivenom@miamidade.gov



· Mayor Carlos Alvarez - (305) 375-5071 mayor@miamidade.gov

· Chairman Dennis Moss District 9 - (305) 375-4832 district9@miamidade.gov

· Vice Chairman Jose "Pepe" Diaz District 12 - (305) 599-1200 district12@miamidade.gov

· Commissioner Barbara Jordan District 1 - (305) 474-3011 district1@miamidade.gov

· Commissioner Dorrin Rolle District 2 - (305) 694-2779 district2@miamidade.gov

· Commissioner Audrey Edmonson District 3 - (305) 636-2331 district3@miamidade.gov

· Commissioner Sally Heyman District 4 - (305) 787-5999 district4@miamidade.gov

· Commissioner Bruno Barriero District 5 - (305) 643-8525 district5@miamidade.gov

· Commissioner Rebeca Sosa District 6 - (305) 267-6377 district6@miamidade.gov

· Commissioner Carlos Gimenez District 7 - (305) 669-4003 district7@miamidade.gov

· Commissioner Katy Sorenson District 8 - (305) 378-6677 district8@miamidade.gov

· Commissioner Javier Souto District 10 - (305) 222-2116 district10@miamidade.gov

· Commissioner Joe Martinez District 11 - (305) 552-1155 district11@miamidade.gov

· Commissioner Natacha Seijas District 13 - (305) 375-4831 district13@miamidade.gov




-----
Andrew Wyatt
President USARK

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