By Sharon Omahen
University of Georgia
Statewide basic trainings should soon make Georgia agricultural
workers better prepared for agrosecurity incidents.
Using a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the
University of Georgia Extension Service will provide statewide
training in basic agrosecurity awareness to more than 3,000
people this year.
The grant was awarded to the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
It’s being directed by the Georgia Agroterrorism Committee of the
state’s Homeland Security Task Force.
Hamilton leading UGA trainings
Don Hamilton, UGA Extension’s homeland security coordinator, will
organize the trainings.
“Our goal is to provide basic agrosecurity awareness training to
people in the state who would likely be mobilized in the event of
an agrosecurity incident,” he said.
“The Extension Service is in a unique position to provide
educational training, especially on issues of agrosecurity,” he
said. “(Its) representatives on the front lines of food and
agriculture each day serve as expert eyes and ears across the
state.”
Hamilton said UGA Extension’s county agents will be trained in
March. The training will be ready to be offered to the public by
the summer.
Learning what to watch out for
“Once people complete the training, they’ll know what an
agrosecurity incident looks like and what to do if it occurs,”
Hamilton said. He believes the training program will help
everyone from local first-responders to grocery store managers
and livestock farmers.
“We’ll be 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.
“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.”
Preparing for agricultural emergencies
Incidents include natural disasters, he said, which UGA Extension
is more prepared to handle.
“The way emergencies are handled is essentially the same whether
it’s a manmade event 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.”
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency, UGA College of
Veterinary Medicine, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Georgia
Department of Natural Resources are collaborating on the
trainings.
