Agroterrorism: A Guide for First Responders

9. Using This Book for Training Programs

O ne of the greatest challenges that a community faces in preparation for an agricultural emergency is training its people. This book provides a ready format to train traditional first responders, such as fire, police, and emergency medical services personnel. It is also versatile enough to train veterinarians , veterinary technicians, cooperative extension agents, feedlot personnel , and others who are likely to be involved in a response to agricultural emergencies. Objectives for each chapter and suggested activities are provided for your use, with guidelines on time frames. It is strongly recommended that the content of this book be supplemented with current stories and afteraction reports from recent responses to foreign animal diseases. Each chapter has a single terminal objective with enabling objectives. These are written to identify the main points of the content and to provide a basis for the design of testing tools. objectives and suggested activities for chapter 1 Terminalobjective—By the end of this chapter, participants will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of why agricultural terrorism is a threat to the United States. Enabling objectives—By the end of this chapter, participants should be able to do the following: • Define terrorism as defined by the U.S. Department of Justice. • Give examples of ideologies that often provide motivation for terrorists. • Provide reasons why agriculture is a viable target for terrorists. • Identify potential consequences of terrorism on agriculture in the United States. activity: identifying the consequences of terrorism Equipment needed—Flip charts/newsprint and markers 9 using this book for training programs Instructions At the end of the presentation of the content, divide the participants into several small groups of three to five people. 1. Provide each group with a flip chart and markers. 2. Allow 20 minutes for each group to answer the question: “What are the consequences of terrorism?” 3. Have each group record their answers on the flip charts. 4. At the end of the 20 minutes, have each group read answers aloud. If there are too many groups to allow each to read their answers, pick out specific answers that are duplicated by the groups or uniquely appropriate. 5. Once a list has been generated, ask the plenary to identify those answers that are specific to terrorism involving agriculture. 6. Have participants explain their reasoning for their answers. using this book for training programs 153 Among the people who need training to confront an agricultural emergency may be not only traditional >rst responders, such as >re, police, and emergency medical services personnel, but also veterinarians, veterinary technicians, cooperative extension agents, and feedlot personnel. Photo by Jack Dykinga, courtesy USDA. objectives and suggested activities for chapter 2 Terminalobjective—By the end of this chapter, participants will be able to explain why the agricultural industry in the United States is an essential part of the nation’s infrastructure. Enabling objectives—By the end of this chapter, participants should be able to do the following: • Define the layers of the agriculture industry. • Explain how highly mobile the agriculture industry is. • Explain the interdependence of segments within the agriculture industry. • Explain how the mobility and interdependence of the industry makes it vulnerable to terrorism. • Identify the largest-grossing agriculture crops and livestock sectors as identified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. activity: understanding the agriculture industry Equipment needed—12 flip charts/newsprint and markers; 12 copies of the National Agricultural Statistics Service/USDA “Agriculture Statistics ”; a map of the United States that may be marked Instructions 1. Divide the participants into 5–12 groups. It is acceptable to have groups do more than one area if there are not enough groups for each area. 2. Provide each group with a flip chart and markers. 3. Post the map on a wall or easel in an accessible area. 4. Assign a group one of the following areas of the agriculture industry: Beef cattle production Equine Soybeans Dairy cattle production Poultry production Wheat Sheep/wool production Corn (feed and sweet) Rice Swine Citrus fruits Sugar 5. Have each group identify on the flip chart the annual gross dollar amount of the specified crop/livestock group. 6. On the map, have the groups mark the location of major activities of the specified industry, using a single color for a single industry. 154 chapter 9 7. At the end of 20 minutes, have each group report their findings aloud. 8. Contrast...