Cubic Announces the Completion of Livestock Disaster Preparedness Program in the Texas Panhandle
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (PRWEB) May 05, 2014 -- Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB) today announced the successful completion of the Regional Resiliency Assessment Program (RRAP) in the Texas Panhandle – a major region for cattle feedlots, hog production and the dairy industry. The 18-month $1.4 million program was developed as a means of strengthening the preparedness and resiliency of the cattle feeding and livestock industry against natural and manmade threats, such as a Foot-and-Mouth Disease and other Foreign and Emerging Animal Diseases.
Cubic, a leading provider of training, operations, maintenance and other support services was selected to lead the project by the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission. The level of industry participation in the program and in the development of the products was unprecedented.
“The RRAP project was guided by industry experts; people that clearly understand the needs of producers who were able to translate resiliency goals into practical terms that made sense to the industry. In a sense, the RRAP products were not created for the livestock industry; rather, they were created by the livestock industry,” said John Kiehl, regional services director, Panhandle Regional Planning Commission.
The RRAP project helped underscore the potential threats by producers throughout Texas and other states. Protecting the agricultural industry in the United States is critical to the welfare of all Americans. The Panhandle is the heart of the nation’s livestock industry - the impact of animal disease in this region would have devastating impacts on the economies of Texas and the United States.
“The importance of the cattle feeding industry to the people and economy of the Texas Panhandle has been recognized by the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission, the Panhandle Regional Emergency Management Advisory Committee and the Panhandle AgroSecurity Working Group for many years,” said Ross Wilson, president and chief executive officer of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association. “With the strong support and expertise from those groups, as well as important input from county judges and emergency managers throughout the region, the RRAP project is a great success story of collaboration, coordination and communication among a diverse group of stakeholders.”
The RRAP project provided new resiliency tools to the livestock industry and emergency agencies. This suite of products consists of a biosecurity guide, business continuity guide and regional FEAD plan. The biosecurity and business continuity guides are designed to function as templates for multiple livestock industries to address the most significant threats to facility operations. Facility plans consist of selected measures to mitigate and respond to potential hazards and vulnerabilities. The result is customized, scalable and actionable plans that can be updated as needed by facility management.
“Cubic is proud to partner with the Panhandle Regional Planning Committee on this significant project. The RRAP project illustrates the absolute need for emergency managers at all levels to obtain knowledge of animal feeding operations within their area of responsibility. The loss of large scale feeding operations, from any cause, will result in catastrophic economic losses,” said Mike Midgley, director of Homeland Security Programs at Cubic.
“Managing the intricate day-to-day details of more than one hundred project deliverables was a challenge, yet the greatest reward was seeing our very own Cubic Homeland Security Team develop and deliver products that will transform the way this multi-billion dollar industry does business,” said Stacey Tyler, project manager of Homeland Security Programs, Cubic.
About Cubic Corporation
Cubic Corporation is the parent company of three major business segments. Cubic Transportation Systems is a leading integrator of payment and information technology and services for intelligent travel solutions. Cubic Defense Systems is a leading provider of realistic combat training systems and secure communications. Mission Support Services is a leading provider of training, operations, maintenance, technical and other support services for the U.S. and allied nations. For more information about Cubic, see the company's Web site at http://www.cubic.com.
Timothy Hill, Cubic Corporation, http://www.cubic.com, +1 (858) 505-2430, [email protected]
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