Progress 07/01/11 to 06/30/13
Outputs
Target Audience: Target audiences included TN County Extension Agents, Tn agricultural producers and TN homeowners. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Agents were provided with information and assistance from UT Extension Specialists on an as needed basis in order to utilize flood specific information and non-destructive moisture testing equipment. This interaction occurred primarily during the first ten months of this grant (July 2011 – April 2012). Agents were provided with specialized training in Agricultural and Animal Disasters and Resource Typing during the final six months of this grant (Jan 2013 – Jun 2013). This training was critical in the development of AgDRAS. This was a two day instructor led training that utilized the FEMA developed MGT 364: Use of a Standardized Credentialing Program for Management of an Animal Emergency Response and Recovery. This course included an understanding of resource typing, Incident Command System, and a practical exercise that allowed participants to assess damage, develop an assessment of resources needs and how to submit a request for additional resources through Mutual Aid Agreements, Tribal Emergency Mutual Aid Compact and Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). This grant also provided the funding for UT Extension Agents to participate in the development of the AgDRAS. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Information for agricultural producers on the impacts of flood waters on crops and livestock was disseminated directly to the producers by Extension Agents, mass media (newspapers, radio and television) as well as being made available on-line. Homeowner information was also distributed through these same avenues – directly to the homeowners, mass media and on-line. AgDRAS is now in the beta phase of development. The phase is expected to be completed by mid-fall of 2013. Once AgDRAS has completed the beta phase, it will be made available to all UT Extension Agents and will include appropriate training. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? This is the final report for this grant.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Beginning with the inception of this project, Extension Specialists and County Extension Agents worked directly with agricultural producers and rural families that were directly impacted in west and middle Tennessee by the Mississippi River flood of 2011. Projects for homeowners included providing information on post-flood cleanup in homes, mold and mildew control, information on post-disaster economics, and detecting structural damage in homes due to flooding. Extension Agents and Specialists also provided non-destructive moisture detection devices for homeowners to utilize in the recovery process. An Extension Crop Specialist worked with agricultural producers who had crop and farm land directly impacted by the flood waters. The Specialist made on-farm visits to work with producers to insure that crop was safe for agricultural production. This was critical in order to insure that fall planting of wheat would not be adversely impacted by the flood waters. For the acreage that was not covered with flood waters long enough to destroy emerged crops, the Specialist worked with producers to determine the potential crop loss and, in the case of soybeans, if there was time for re-planting of crops. While there were losses of corn and cotton directly due to the sustained water-covered fields, soybeans and pastures recovered with only minimal damage. In the second year of this grant (No Cost Extension), the UT Extension Specialist for Emergency Preparedness worked a group of Extension Agents and a UT IT specialist to develop an Agricultural Disaster Rapid Assessment System (AgDRAS). The AgDRAS has been designed to provide an accurate assessment of agricultural damage on a site by site basis as well as an aggregate damage report. UT Extension County Agents and Specialist reviewed several existing documents for agricultural disaster damage assessments before developing this particular system. There were several key components that were identified by the UT Extension work group in the existing reporting formats: All of the assessments’ primary focus was on the economic impact of the disaster. All of the assessments were simple report forms and, based on the information available to the work group, did not have the capacity to provide a cumulative disaster assessment report. While some of the assessment reports did indicate where there was a need for agricultural assistance, there was no clear link to a process for generating a rapid report to the local or state Incident Command. In the opinion of the UT Extension work group, what was needed in order to provide a rapid assessment of agricultural damage and immediate needs. With that as the key component, the work group develop the AgDRAS to address this need. To do this, the work group developed a form that was designed to be used with a touch-screen tablet computer. It was felt by the work group that utilizing an application that depended on a web connection as is the case with many of the popular “App’s” for tablets, smart phones and other similar equipment would be practical in a disaster. Of the many issues faced by communities in any disaster – floods, storms, etc. – is a lack of wireless communication and internet access due to damaged communication infrastructure. Therefore utilizing, a self-contained program on the tablet (Dell Tablet) was deemed to be the most practical. The initial report form also utilized a touch screen which allows for instant entry on the form. The working group also felt it was important to supply the local and state Incident Command with an immediate needs report that would be standardized regardless of the disaster or the location. Although economic impact is critical in the recovery phase of a disaster, in the immediate aftermath (response) and early recovery, rapid assessments of the immediate needs of the agricultural is critical. The AgDRAS is designed to provide that information. Finally, the AgDRAS utilizes the Microsoft program Access, which will allow for expansion and additions as may be necessary. The AgDRAS will eventually be expanded to incorporate information that is under development by FEMA to address the needs of animal emergency responders in disasters. This information will utilize resource typing of individuals and teams that could be requested to provide assistance in animal containment and movement and in animal disease outbreaks. Funds from this grant were used to purchase Dell Tablets with extended life batteries, protective tablet covers, GPS units for accurate site location/identification and carrying case.
Publications
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