The Innovator Recognition

The Carter County Disaster Animal Response Team (CC DART) is a strike team within the Northeast Region MRC (TN), formed to helps pets and livestock during a disaster. They identified a need for additional funding to support their goal to be self-sufficient and deployment ready. Working together, MRC volunteers, FEMA staff, and community citizens formed the Friends of CC DART, a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. During 2024, the Friends of CC DART secured a barn and land to store assets and provide space for regular training. A website was created to showcase Friends of CC DART and CC DART, and a payment platform was set up to accept financial donations and membership dues.

Hurricane Helene posed the first deployment for CC DART, where 58 volunteers worked 1,615 hours distributing more than 106,000 pounds of animal food throughout the public health region. Contacts made during the Hurricane Helene response led to grant applications that resulted in two grant awards: $15,000 from the East Tennessee Foundation for cargo trailers and $7,000 from PetSmart Charities for new tents, propane tanks, weights, and fans. In the span of 12 months, CC DART has found an innovative way to support both itself and its community!