How should facilities plan for emergencies such as power outages affecting animal care?

• A. Rely on a single power source with no backups.
• B. Have backup power, redundant climate control and life support, and documented contingency SOPs.
• C. Publicize outage to staff and wait.
• D. Continue only with manual procedures.

Answer: (C)

Planning for emergencies like power outages is about maintaining continuous animal care through redundancy and clear procedures. The critical goal is to prevent environmental disruption and loss of life-support when the main power source fails. That means having backup power and redundancy for climate control and life-support systems so housing conditions stay within safe, species-appropriate ranges, even if the primary supply is interrupted. An automatic transfer switch, reliable generators, and uninterruptible power for essential monitoring help ensure a seamless transition to backups without gaps in care.

Equally important are documented contingency standard operating procedures that specify exactly who does what, when to switch to backup systems, how to monitor environmental parameters during an outage, and when to implement relocation or other welfare-protective actions. Regular drills and routine checks of fuel, equipment, and contact information keep the plan practical and actionable, reducing the risk of delays or uncertainty during real events. This proactive, comprehensive approach is far more protective of animal welfare than relying on a single power source or waiting for staff to react without predefined steps.