Security Alerts and Why We in Agriculture Should Care

Security Alerts andWhy We in Agriculture Should Care Julie Smith NACAA 2007 Grand Rapids, Michigan July, 2007

20 min to change your world • Why should Extension employees be involved in emergency preparedness? • What are our potential roles? • How should we prepare for these roles?

Here’s the deal • Disasters happen • We should be prepared • Preparedness enhances survival Prevail Prepare Prevent

Why should we care? • Trusted sources of information • Have access to resources and training; can conduct trainings • Bridge between local knowledge/local resources and emergency managers • Our agricultural clientele are focused on day to day challenges • Written into state support function

Thanks to the Roland Bauer Family Dairy Farm Ringwood Township, Illinois

Emergency management • Goals of EM are to save lives, prevent injury, protect property, and protect the environment Preparation Mitigation Response Prevention Recovery

All hazards approach • Natural disaster • Transportation accident • OIE notifiable disease • Unintentional contamination • Intentional contamination • Agriculture is vulnerable • Recognized by HSPD-9 (Homeland Security Presidential Directive)

Consequences of emergencies • Communications are challenged • Infrastructure fails • Threats to animal and public safety arise • Need to evacuate people and animals • Animals displaced/escape • Environment and wildlife adversely affected • Need for euthanasia and carcass disposal • Threats to animal well-being and human mental health • Public concern

National response plan • NRP established by HSPD-5 • Comprehensive approach to incident management • Secretary of Homeland Security charged with overseeing EM in the event of terrorist threats or actions, major disasters, and other emergencies • Coordinates incident management disciplines—HS, EM, law enforcement, firefighting, public works, public health, EMS, private sector (Red Cross, Salvation Army)

Emergency support functions ESF 1 - Transportation ESF 2 - Communications ESF 3 - Public Works and Engineering ESF 4 - Firefighting ESF 5 - Emergency Management ESF 6 - Mass Care, Housing and Human Svcs ESF 7 - Resource Support ESF 8 - Public Health and Medical Services

Emergency support functions ESF 9 - Urban Search and Rescue ESF 10 - Oil and Hazardous Materials Response ESF 11 - Agriculture and Natural Resources ESF 12 - Energy ESF 13 - Public Safety and Security ESF 14 - Long-term Community Recovery and Mitigation ESF 15 - External Affairs

Potential roles • Education, training, research-based information • First detector • Volunteer management • Media work • Assist state support function

Cultivate a culture of preparedness • Disaster supply kits (Go kits) • Family/business communication plans • Continuity of operations plans (Ready Business) • Farmstead security and emergency biosecurity preparedness

Personal disaster preparedness (PDP) model • Citizen Corps model to target marketing of preparedness messages • Based on social science “program” theories which have to do with changing behaviors • Provides audience analysis useful for developing messages appropriate for different profiles

Strategies to increase preparedness • Discomfort motivates change • Excitation/emotional stimulation increases effectiveness of message • External motivators – coop policies, insurance incentives - can stimulate change

Steps you can take • Become certified in incident command system and national response plan awareness IS-100 (ICS), IS-700 (NIMS), IS-800.A (NRP) • Take EDEN trainings, www.eden.lsu.edu • Know where you fit into your local and state plans; get to know your local EM; get involved • Integrate preparedness messages into all programs: Prevent, Prepare, Prevail

What’s your RQ? • We must practice preparedness • We must promote preparedness

www.eden.lsu.edu

Security Alerts and Why We in Agriculture Should Care