With weather disasters becoming more frequent in the commonwealth, the University of Kentucky’s Cooperative Extension Service has a plan to help. Jeff Young is UK’s coordinator for extension disaster response and preparation activities. He said extension strike teams will feature agents from UK and Kentucky State University.
“They have volunteered to make themselves available in the case of a disaster of some type, to go to neighboring counties within, you know, a geographic region, either west, central or eastern, and help support the agents in that county.”
Young said strike team members will relieve extension agents of their everyday duties so the home agents can help emergency management officials and others with recovery efforts.
“They have some specific functions within the ag community, as far as working with our federal partners in disaster assessment, you know, trying to make sure that we communicate well with the Farm Service Agency, for example.”
Young said extension agents may be asked to perform a wide range of duties – including clean-up. He said the state Department of Public Health and Emergency Management provided training.
