Agriculture Emergency Response

Team

AERT

Partnering with NC Emergency Management, Civil Air Patrol, NC Counties, and others to assist communities

with recovery after a disaster

Agenda

BackgroundWhat is AERT?Department PersonnelQuestions

Background Information

Natural Disasters Agriculture and Farm Communities

Ag 77+ billion $ industryEmploys 1 out 8 workersHurricane Irene: $400 m ~ 300m AgIA and PA programs do not Assist farmers

NC Farm Numbers

N.C.’s Rank in U.S. Agriculture

First Tobacco Sweet Potatoes

Second Hogs Turkeys Christmas Trees Trout Sold

Third Cucumbers Tomatoes

Fourth Broilers Peanuts Strawberries

Fifth Upland Cotton Peanuts Greenhouse / Nursery Cash Receipts Catfish Sold

Bottom Line

Agriculture is extremely important to NC

Assisting farmers and farming communities is a top priority

Building and developing a partnership, will help to assist communities

Thus the question is:

How can we assist farming communities in a time of need?

AERT is born…

What is AERT?

Drought, Hurricanes, Tornados…..

“We can’t get our equipment in the fields…”

“Animals & livestock are all over the place…”

“Equipment and barns with damaged roofs….”

“Crops are blown over…”

“There are limbs and trees blocking roads and access points…”

What they were saying…

Debris needs to be removed

Fences need temporary repair

Equip. and structures need to be tarped

Crops/nurseries need assistance

We need access to roads and entryways

Tasks were developed to assist farmers and farming communities…

Field Debris Removal

Temporary Fence Repair

Tarping

Harvestability

Tree / limb cutting***

The Five AERT Tasks:

What is AERT?

AERT =Agriculture Emergency Response Team

- Comprised of 8 – 10 members, a leader, and AERT trailer

- That deploy upon request, to accomplish AERT tasks

Teams

NCDA&CS Personnel +Leader8 – 10 team members

Civil Air Patrol Personnel + CAP Leader8 – 10 team members

+

NCDA&CS (Leader / Liaison)

AERT Trailer

Currently have 3 trailers across the state:

West: Morganton Central: Raleigh East: Kinston

Agriculture Emergency Response Team

AERT

Goal: provide help to fill the gaps farmers and farming communities encounter immediately after natural disasters

Plan

Train NCDA&CS employees Register through SERVNC

Maintain contact information Train as Team member / Team Lead / Liaison

Train CAP Personnel CAP maintains own rosters and contact information Train-the-trainer

Deploy upon request – Teams come from? NCDA&CS CAP Other

Personnel

Resource Trained Personnel Chain Saw Crews**

NCDA &CS =10

NCDA&CS 61

Civil Air Patrol 18

Mission Flow: Request

Assessment• County

• Extension• NCDA & CS• Farmers

County EOC• Request for

Team• Extension• County

Ranger• County EM• NCDA & CS

SEOC• Mission

approved

Teams to county

AgEOC• AERTs

Mission Flow: Deployment

County Farm Task

Teams will work at discretion of requesting county

NCDA & CS will have input through Team leader and County EOC rep.

AERT

Agriculture Emergency Response Team

Building a Partnership

● #1 Priority - Safety

● Missions must be routed through county and state EM

● Program assists farmers / farming communities

Questions

Mike MayesNCDA & CS Emergency Programs919-807-4309Michael.mayes@ ncagr.gov