The Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Emergency Management Program and the Colorado State University Extension signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to formalize a partnership that details how these two critical state resources will work hand in hand during emergencies impacting Colorado’s agriculture communities. This framework for cooperation aims to enhance the efficiency for joint delivery of services, training, information sharing, and outreach initiatives in emergency management.
“The CDA Emergency Management Team looks forward to building an even stronger partnership with CSU with this MOU,” said Dan Frazen, CDA’s Agriculture Emergency Coordinator. “CSU Extension directors and specialists are the heart of CDA’s Agriculture Emergency Liaison Program. Along with our brand inspectors, ag association leaders and trusted veterinarians, Extension serves as a vital resource when it comes to emergency management in Colorado’s rural communities.”
“Partnerships – local, regional and statewide - are the foundation of our work in Extension,” shared Eric McPhail, CSU Extension Field Director. “Working together with partners like CDA, we better understand community needs and are able to address emerging issues that affect our state.”
The MOU builds on an established working relationship between CDA and CSU Extension. It will help coordinate efforts between the two organizations, especially when it comes to disaster preparedness and disaster response. With both institutions focused on educating the public and being a supportive resource when disaster strikes, they will work together to develop and organize meetings, workshops and public events that help agricultural communities understand all emergency management phases (preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation).
The CDA Emergency Management Team will also be providing emergency management, incident management, and Emergency Support Function (ESF) #11 Agriculture and Natural Resources training to the CSU Extension directors and field staff. This training will help CDA and CSU Extension collaborate during disaster response and recovery operations when agriculture communities are impacted.
Through the MOU, CDA and CSU Extension will leverage expertise from various divisions and work units in the two organizations as well as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other state and local emergency management partners.
Since 2022, CDA’s Animal Health Division has established and expanded the Emergency Management Team to prepare CDA and expand the agency’s response capabilities for natural disasters and other emergencies. In Colorado, the team has helped with response to several winter storms, the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, fires, and flooding, among others. The team has also been deployed to national disasters, including the recent response to Hurricane Helene in Florida and North Carolina.
For over 100 years, Colorado State University Extension has been a trusted partner connecting Coloradans to actionable, research-based solutions and programming on a wide range of topics. Local, county and area-based Extension offices and specialists serve communities across the state through research expertise, localized trainings, resources and offerings.
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