Enhancing Science-Based Outreach Programs for Long Range Emergency Food and Water Storage

Non-Technical Summary: There has been an increase in public awareness of disastrous events involving earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, wildfire, drought, contagious disease, and terrorist events. Hurricane Katrina was a perfect example. Part of the cataclysmic damage was a total disruption of the food supply chain. Grocery stores were closed. Shipments of groceries were stopped. Water supplies were minimal and untrustworthy at best. Only emergency responders brought food and water. It is interesting to see consumers hurriedly buy milk and bread the night before a storm, while few prepare ahead of that. Long range family and community planning is needed to have emergency food and water supplies on-hand during emergency events. The National Academy of Sciences Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and the Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction of the National Science and Technology Council have acknowledged the many effective roles that the Cooperative Extension System (CES) has played in disaster preparedness, response and remediation. The Utah State University Cooperative Extension System plays a key role in emergency preparedness. Healy & Malhotra (2009) estimated that every $1 spent on preparedness equates to $15 saved by lessening of the impact of disasters. <P> Approach: Methods Objective 1. Assess consumer knowledge and practice with respect to emergency food and water storage and develop research-based recommendations to improve disaster preparedness efforts. (Research) 1. A. Determine current consumer preparedness level by survey. 1. B. Determine consumer food storage conditions experimentally. One hundred data loggers (already in possession of the researchers) will be placed in residences throughout the state of Utah in the areas where food is stored (or potentially stored). Temperature and relative humidity data will be collected over year period and the data will be compiled to help educate consumers on temperature and relative humidity fluctuations in areas where food is stored to help them optimize the shelf-life of their food. 1. C. Collect and evaluate water stored by consumers for microbial safety. Water samples stored by 100 consumers will be collected and evaluated for chlorine content and presence or absence of coliform indicator organisms. At the time of collection, participants will be interviewed to gain additional information about their water storage practices and concerns. Objective 2. Develop a Cooperative Extension Program in the area of emergency food and water planning. (Extension) 2.A. Identify all Extension, EDEN, or eXtension publications relevant to Food and Water storage. A web search has shown a few additional fact sheets at other land grant universities. A more substantial literature search will be made to identify all Extension, EDEN, or eXtension publications regarding emergency food and water storage. 2.B. Create emergency food and water storage workshop. This project will create a prototype workshop that can be used in any county across the United States. Objective 3. Develop or expand educational materials in the area of emergency food and water planning. Distribute these materials via the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) website and eXtension. (Extension). 3.A. Create and disseminate fact sheets via USU, EDEN, and eXtension. 3.B. Enhance existing USU Emergency Food Storage Website.