DARTCC™ News
SMART Signs MOU DARTCC™
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 1, 2025
SMART SIGNS EASApp® MOU WITH DARTCC™
SMART and DARTCC™ Join Forces to Support Animals During Disasters
Marlborough, MA & Waterbury, VT – April 1, 2025 – The State of Massachusetts Animal Resource Team (SMART) and Disaster Animal Response Command Central (DARTCC™) are proud to announce the signing of a Mutual Assistance Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), establishing a new collaboration to strengthen disaster response efforts for companion animals across Massachusetts.
Signed on March 17, 2025, this agreement outlines a framework for collaboration between SMART and DARTCC™ to provide coordinated support during natural and man-made disasters. The collaboration brings together each organization’s strengths—SMART’s boots-on-the-ground volunteer teams and DARTCC™’s cutting-edge Emergency Animal Shelter App (EASApp®)—to improve outcomes for animals and their caretakers during emergencies.
“This MOU solidifies a shared commitment to ensuring that companion animals are not forgotten during disaster response,” said David Schwarz, Chair of SMART. “With DARTCC™’s technology and SMART’s trained volunteers, we’re building a more resilient, more prepared network of support across the state.”
EASApp®, developed by DARTCC™, is a digital platform designed to streamline emergency sheltering operations, document animal care, and provide ongoing training for response teams. Under this agreement, SMART teams will receive free access to the EASApp® system during disaster deployments and major training events.
Key features of the MOU include:
- Free use of EASApp® during disaster responses and training, with optional tech support packages available in fall 2025.
- Shared training resources, including free instructional videos beginning summer 2025.
- Flexible cooperation, allowing each organization to maintain operational independence while collaborating as needed.
- Clear data management protocols, with a 90-day retention window for deployment data and user responsibility for data download and storage.
“This collaboration reflects our core mission to support responders and the animals they serve,” said Deb Shelby, Executive Director of DARTCC™. “We are excited to work alongside SMART and help expand the reach and impact of EASApp® in the field.”
As all-volunteer organizations, both SMART and DARTCC™ emphasize flexibility, autonomy, and community-driven response. The MOU does not create legally binding obligations but rather affirms a spirit of collaboration and mutual aid that benefits the entire emergency response ecosystem.
For more information, contact:
SMART Contact: ** David Schwarz, Chair 163 Lakeside Ave, Marlborough, MA 01752 Phone: (508) 561-7167 Email: labby131@aol.com
DARTCC™ Contact: ** Deb Shelby, Executive Director P.O. Box 72, Waterbury, VT 05465 Phone: (512) 765-5406 Email: deb@dartcc.org
Visit dartcc.org to learn more and make a tax-deductible donation.
**About SMART: **The State of Massachusetts Animal Resource Team (SMART) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters affecting companion animals. SMART operates with trained volunteers across the state.
About DARTCC™: Disasters are far too common. And volunteer-run emergency pet shelters need support. With DARTCC™, data management lives in one place, allowing volunteers to focus on pet care, not paperwork. DARTCC™: an easy-to-learn web/mobile operations platform that anyone can use, anywhere disaster strikes.