According to FEMA.gov there have been at least 12 major disasters declared in the state of Kentucky since the beginning of 2020.  Often, County Extension Agents are called upon during such disasters and recovery to help with agriculture, food safety, family, and youth needs.   Responding to community needs during a disaster takes coordination and partnerships to be effective.  It is important for county agents to know and understand their roles/priorities, as well as the role of government agencies in response to a disaster.  FEMA online training courses can provide such information to professionals.

To provide direction for county agents on emergency management processes during a disaster, Kayla Watts, Extension Agent for Community Recovery and Resiliency created a tutorial video for agents to view explaining the process of how-to sign-up for, participate in, and complete FEMA online courses.   This video explained the importance of such training, how the training will relate to the agent’s work during and after a disaster, and the process of obtaining training certificates.

This tutorial video was posted to the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension’s Disaster Resource webpage and has been viewed by many agents in preparation for FEMA training.