Agricultural Careers Bioterrorism Specialist

1. Agricultural Careers Bioterrorism Specialist By: Dr. Frank Flanders and Asha Wise Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office Georgia Department of Education May 2006

2. Job Duties & Responsibilities • Educate producers and the public about bioterrorism threats • Assess possible damages caused by biological agents, natural disasters, etc • Plan and execute emergency response plans • Manage and treat outbreaks • Developing security plans to protect borders and to secure transportation

3. Qualities and Skills • Have an interest in the protection of the community, state, and nation. • Possess good analytical skills and should be able to identify and diagnose problems. • Be able to effectively communicate with the public concerning the possibility of attack or danger without causing great fear. • Willing to travel in order to perform research, and to diagnose and assess problems. • Pay great attention to details, but also be able to see the big picture. • Be familiar with communication and surveillance devices, simulation of bioterrorism attacks, health issues in coping with bioterrorism attacks, recognizing clinical symptoms of biothreat agents, and the legal and ethical implications of bioterrorism. • Greatly beneficial to also be trained in emergency response and to have a strong background in the medical field.

4. Salary • There is a wide range of salaries for a Bioterrorism, or Homeland Security Specialist. • As an Agriculture Specialist you earn $27,000 to $50,000. • A Supervisory Management and Program Analyst for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, a Public Health Analyst for the Food and Drug Administration, a Technical Hazards Program Specialist for the Federal Emergency Management: can earn $77,000 to $114,000. • Salary depends greatly on your region, amount of education, and level of employment.

5. Work Environment • Work is mostly in an office • Travel is required to educate agriculturalist and the public • May working outdoors for planning or at disaster sites

6. Career Ladders • You may begin as an employee for one of the government agencies involved in homeland defense as a research lab technician or emergency response trainer and work you way to managerial or administrative positions within these agencies and organizations. • You also may begin working in disaster relief or with organizations like the American Red Cross. • You may also begin a career in as a Bioterrorism Specialist by working with law enforcement agencies or through the military

7. Career Resources Federal Emergency Management Association http://www.fema.gov/ International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) http://www.iaem.com/ National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) http://www.nemaweb.org/ U.S. Food and Drug Administration: The Bioterrorism Act of 2002 http://www.fda.gov/oc/bioterrorism/bioact.html Center of Disease Control Emergency Preparedness and Response http://www.bt.cdc.gov/ Homeland Security State Contact List http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/contactmap.html The American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/prepare/makeaplan.html