By Jackie Sosby
Georgia Department of Agriculture
and Sharon Omahen
University of Georgia
Georgia just increased its agroterrorism preparedness another
level
by launching the local phase of the Agrosecurity Awareness Training
July 1.
“Whether it’s a natural disaster, an animal disease, food
contamination or a deliberate act of agroterrorism, the people
who complete the training will know how to recognize something is
wrong, who to call and what to do if it occurs,” said Georgia
Department of Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin. “The ultimate
goal is to make sure that Georgia agriculture and food are safe and
secure.”
Georgia’s Homeland Security Task Force Agroterrorism Committee
sponsors the training program which is being delivered across the
state by University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agents. The
committee is chaired by Lee Myers, state veterinarian and assistant
commissioner of animal industry for the Georgia Department of
Agriculture.
Trainings across the state
Up to 3,500 agriculture first responders are expected to
receive training over the next six months. The goal is to provide
basic agrosecurity awareness training to people across Georgia
who would likely mobilize during an agrosecurity incident.
“We were the first state to include local jurisdictions in our
statewide homeland security agriculture assessment,” Irvin said.
“We knew we had to get down to the local level to adequately build
a proper defense against agroterrrorism.”
UGA and partners from government agencies developed the training
with a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The
curriculum includes textbooks, presentations and a website with
materials and information about the one-day training sessions.
“This training, which is already considered a national
model,helps address how we will safeguard Georgia’s agricultural
sector and food supply, both key components of our critical
infrastructure,” said OHS-GEMA Director Mike Sherberger.
County agents will conduct
UGA Extension agents, who will conduct one-day training
sessions in
their communities, were trained this spring. Potential participants
include traditional first responders, such as law enforcement,
firefighters and EMS, as well as farmers, veterinarians, food
processing managers, grocery store managers and others engaged in
agriculture or agribusiness.
“UGA Cooperative Extension is in a unique position to provide
educational training, especially on issues of agrosecurity,” said
Don Hamilton, UGA Extension’s homeland security coordinator. “Our
representatives are on the front lines of food and agriculture each
day serving as expert eyes and ears across the state.”
Hamilton says once trained, class participants will better
know how
to spot an agrosecurity incident and what to do if an incident
occurs.
“We’re educating folks on the value of agriculture in our state,
and our ultimate aim is to make sure Georgia’s agriculture is safe
and secure,” he said. “That’s a full-time job.”
Hamilton said agrosecurity incidents can range from a
terrorist act
to someone unknowingly bringing an agricultural disease into the
country.
Not just terrorist acts
“Agrosecurity incidents aren’t limited to manmade or terrorist
events,” he said. “They encompass almost any event in the food and
agriculture arena that would affect human health and the
agricultural economy.”
Incidents include natural disasters, he said, which UGA Extension
is already traditionally prepared to handle.
“The way emergencies are handled is essentially the same whether
it’s manmade or something from Mother Nature,” Hamilton said.
“Our county Extension agents are an essential part of the
agrosecurity process,” he said, “because we have a smooth system
for disseminating information during times of disaster. These new
trainings will further strengthen local communities’ capabilities
in the event of an incident.”
If you are a potential first responder and want to sign up for an
agrosecurity training session, visit the program Web site at
www.agrosecurity.uga.edu or call your local UGA Extension agent.
