New Mexico Programs Focus on Emergency Preparedness

In partnership with: New Mexico Department of Agriculture

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, people are more aware than ever that emergencies can disrupt our lives at any moment. In New Mexico, the Southwest Border Food Protection and Emergency Preparedness Center works to ensure the Land of Enchantment is always ready to combat disasters. Launched in 2005, the Center is a collaborative effort of New Mexico State University’s College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences; New Mexico State University’s Cooperative Extension Service; and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture. One of its goals is to protect the nation’s food supply against threats such as foodborne illnesses, disruptions to the supply chain and agroterrorism using a three-pronged approach to food protection: food safety, food defense and food security.

“The Center assesses the security of agriculture operations and provides training for farmers, dairy and livestock producers, public health officials, law enforcement and the public,” says Marshal Wilson, co-director of the Center. “We maintain first-response trailers across the state stocked with equipment to help officials respond to an agriculture emergency.”

The Center works with the Department of Homeland Security to provide education and outreach to the citizens of New Mexico. It has built a network of agriculture communities that work well together when responding to a crisis.

We commonly prepare for emergencies like storms, as well as biosecurity and disease.”

– Tom Dean, co-director of the Southwest Border Food Protection and Emergency Preparedness Center

“We commonly prepare for emergencies like storms, as well as biosecurity and disease,” says Tom Dean, co-director of the Center. “We were involved with the Gold King Mine spill in 2015 when contaminated waters flowed through our San Juan County, as well as Winter Storm Goliath in 2015.”

COVID-19 was the latest catastrophe the Center responded to.

“Early on, there were distribution issues and food supply chain issues with an emerging need for food across the state,” Wilson says. “When emergency operations called for food late in the evening, one company responded, and a truckload was unloaded early the next morning. The response was incredible, with many companies donating food and supplies.”

Several food deliveries were made to New Mexico’s Native American population.

“We also helped educate ag producers as they entered the unknown with COVID,” Dean says. “We distributed information about protocols such as how to manage spacing workers and keep employees safe.”

Another facet of the state’s emergency preparedness plan is the New Mexico Agriculture Livestock Incident Response Team (NM-ALIRT), which began in 2006 to assist in the event of a Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) issue.

“The NM-ALIRT program is designed to equip and train a network of veterinary practitioners around New Mexico who will be able to respond to a large or suspicious livestock loss,” Wilson says. “These veterinarians are trained to collect, prepare and ship diagnostic specimens so a rapid and accurate diagnosis can be made.”

The program has provided training and field diagnostic equipment to 23 large-animal veterinarians geographically and strategically located across the state.

“These veterinarians have agreed to assist the state in the event of an FAD outbreak or any other animal emergency,” Wilson says. “This team provides a tremendous resource for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the New Mexico Livestock Board and the livestock producers who provide the backbone for the nation’s economy.”