News Feature                                                            1/16/2009

Minnesota NRCS State Office Training

John Beckwith, Water Resources Staff Leader, St. Paul, Minnesota provided the Natural Resources Conservation (NRCS) State Office staff with training on the Minnesota NRCS Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) and the Tri-Agency Pandemic Plan on Thursday, January 15, 2009. The training provided by Beckwith provided employees with an overview of what is contained in both plans.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is responsible for protecting its employees and major assets (information systems, facilities, and equipment) in situations that affect or threaten the agency’s operations. NRCS is also responsible for effectively continuing essential functions for the public during emergency situations and natural disasters. Either plan maybe activated with or without warning during duty or non-duty hours.

The NRCS State Office COOP document identifies key personnel to lead various elements of the plan, discusses how communication lines are established and maintain, lays out the phone calling tree, and informs all employees of their responsibilities if a COOP is implemented.

The Tri-Agency Pandemic Plan is modeled after the USDA Human Pandemic Planning Guidance for Employee Health and Safety and Continuity of Operations, dated May 3, 2006. The plan identifies and assigns various personnel to perform essential agency functions, coordinate activities between the agencies, and ensures the agency would be able to provide NRCS services if the Pandemic Plan is implemented.

For more information about COOP or Pandemic Plan, please contact John Beckwith, Water Resources Staff Leader at (651)-602-7930.

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