In order to teach local communities, families, school leaders and childcare center employees how to respond to emergencies, the SU Ag Center Family and Human Development program hosted a three-day emergency preparedness training for Extension agents who work through-out the state. “It makes no difference what the disaster is, but it does matter that all of us learn to mitigate and pre-pare in order to remain safe and healthy,” said Chancellor Leodrey Williams.
As a result of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Gustav, the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center collaborated with the Department of Health and Hospitals and the Center of Emergency Preparedness to reduce the hardship and struggle caused by disas-ters along with the poten-tial spread of the H1N1 threat faced by citizens of this state and others nationally.
“The last decade has brought to the forefront horrendous weather condi-tions that have prompted many families and other individuals to learn emer-gency responses to various hazards,” said Kasundra Cyrus, Ed.D, Family and Human Development Specialist, and training organ-izer. These conditions have included natural, man-made and technological conditions in addition to the risk of pandemic type situations.
Each agent received a cur-riculum resource guide to teach citizens how to make advanced preparation for their communities’ different needs and various dis-asters. According to Cyrus, provisions are made for the resource curriculum guide to offer directions for com-munity-centered trainings, but each agent or educator should have a knowledge base and a set of skills in disaster preparedness and readiness.
“It is our responsibility to assist the community and ensure that home environ-ments are safe and secure. To promote these safe environments, the curriculum guide focuses on the pre-ventive measures of disaster planning and emergency readiness,” said Cyrus.
Although the training did not highlight every kind of disaster that can occur, it provided program partici-pants with an overview of hazards, knowledge, training, and skill building.
Extension agents were trained on seven lessons designed to help teachers, directors, families, and community advocates discover ways that will make emergency preparation easier for the residents of their community and children under their care. Topics and presenters included: Overview of Emergencies Preparedness Response and Mitigation: What do we need to know? by Mary Wells, facilities planner, Southern University System Health Challenges and Pandemics: Is it the H1N1 Flu? by Sherhonda
Harper, statewide nurse consult-ant; Agricultural Emergency Preparedness by Diane Stacey, DVM, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry; Knowing What to Say about Emergency Preparedness and Mitigation by Ken Pastorick, public information officer; Chemical Spills and Other Hazards by Stephen Phillipe, Office of Public Health, Center for Emergency Preparedness; Emergency Preparedness Response Curriculum Guide and Program Evaluation, by Cyrus; What Should You Tell Farmers About Sheltering Livestock from the Disaster? by Renita Marshall, DVM, assistant professor, animal science, and di-rector of livestock programs, Christie Monroe, assistant live-stock program director, and Antoino Harris; Learning About Data and Data Entry by Wilbert Harris and William Augustine, Ag Center technology staff; Food and Water Safety During Disasters, De’Shoin York, assistant nutrition specialist, and Fatemeh Malekian, PhD, associate professor, Ag Center; What Should You Know about Crop Damage? by Chris Robichaux, PhD, county agent, SU Ag Center; Emergency Preparedness for Youth by Joanie Ledet, parent educator, SU Ag Center; Emergency Preparedness for Families by Delores Johnson, parent educator, and Sarah Sims, extension agent, Southern University Ag Center.
The agents returned to their parishes prepared to provide classes that will enable citizens to prepare for and mitigate any emergency situation over time.
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