410 – Establishment of Animal Response Teams.

§  410. Establishment of animal response teams. 1. The commissioner is
  hereby authorized to establish state and county animal response teams to
  support the prevention of, preparedness for, response to,  and  recovery
  from  emergencies and disasters affecting animals in New York state. The
  commissioner may appoint qualified volunteers to such  teams  which  may
  include  appropriate state agency and specialty personnel and such other
  personnel and volunteers he or she deems appropriate.  For  purposes  of
  this  section,  "qualified  volunteer"  shall mean a person who does not
  receive compensation for his or her services, who is an active member of
  an animal response team and has either been activated  by  directive  of
  the  commissioner  or  is  acting  in an official capacity of the animal
  response team pursuant to guidelines from the commissioner.
2. The commissioner shall  be  responsible  for  training  such  teams
  established   pursuant   to  this  section  to  ensure  response  during
  emergencies and disasters.
3. Individuals appointed to an animal response team  shall  be  deemed
  volunteer  state  employees  for  purposes  of  section seventeen of the
  public officers law and section three of the workers' compensation law.
4. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations relating to
  the formation, training, appointing and activation of state  and  county
  animal  response  teams  established  pursuant  to  this article, and is
  authorized to solicit and accept funds from any public or private source
  to help carry out the provisions of  this  article.  Provided,  however,
  that  the  commissioner  shall  consult  with  state and local emergency
  personnel relative to the activation of such animal response teams.