Information Technology Disaster Preparedness

From AgriLife WIki

1. What does the public expect of Extension and/or what should they expect of Extension in disaster management?

• Local, state, and regional disaster preparedness plan
• IT infrastructure maintenance
  • Email
  • Web information
  • Distance education
  • Telecommunications
• Providing public internet access in a disaster
• Information provider
• Liaison to local homeland security
• Data Collection efforts
  • Ag Biosecurity support; IT support for detection, reporting, response
  • Available shelters, crop losses, local issues

2. What are unique contributions does IT have to offer in the disaster mitigation, prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery phases?

• train Extension faculty/community leaders on how to access/use information information technology in disaster response.
• scenario driven practice
• electronic response/recovery procedures
• infrastructure support (wireless phones, satellite internet access, mobile videoconferencing, etc.)

3. How can other states in the region help a state or states in a disaster?

• Support for mirrors/backups, redundancy, failover
• Deliver on-line education programs to neighboring states in need
• Publication support, phone support, multiple paths
• Provide satellite, mobile video, communications resources
• State specific information evacuee information
• Pooling of redundant resources (fact sheets, etc.)
• Collaborative funding efforts
• Standards development and adoption

4. What should the unique position of the Cooperative Extension System be in relation to disasters?

• education
• networking (people to people)
• networking (the infrastructure)

5. What competencies should we expect of agents and specialists in each program area to be effective in disaster education, response, and recovery?

• email
• knowing about and using internet technologies
• communications effectiveness in time of disaster
• basic IT competencies + disaster issues

6. Imagine a scenario involving a disaster in your state. What were the educational materials, skills, and educational support needs experienced by agents and specialists?

• short "how to" articles
• how to find the "how to"
• print on demand
• regional disaster web site (EDEN)

7. What relationships are needed to be more effective?

• inter-state agreements (mirrors, failover, IT recovery plans)
• telecommunications providers
• ADEC
• software/hardware vendors
• intracampus telecommunications partners
• other educational institutions/agencies with existing infrastructure

8. What resources are needed to be more effective (e.g., dedicated people, reserve funds, etc. and why?)

• money
• people
• time
• administration (staff member dedicated to disaster response)

9. What would your expectations be of EDEN to help make this happen? What resources are needed to be more effective (e.g., dedicated people, reserve funds, etc. and why?)