The "Migrant and Seasonal Farm Worker Emergency Preparedness Planning Guide" was developed by NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis in collaboration with the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) and the Western New York Public Health Alliance (WNYPHA) to address the challenges facing migrant and seasonal workers in the event of an emergency (the guide stresses all-hazard preparedness, as disasters of different kinds will present varying challenges and necessitate varying responses).

The planning guide was developed based on feedback from an expert panel held in Western New York in March 2009 and a vetting session at the National Rural Health Association conference in May 2009. The guide is intended to provide a set of actionable steps that can be taken by public health professionals pre-event, during the event, and post-event, taking into account how the emergency type will impact the response. The planning steps are not generic: they take into account the unique living and working conditions as well as cultural differences of migrant and seasonal farm workers. This guide is not intended to provide a complete planning process, but rather to serve as a foundation for comprehensive planning on the farm, family, or individual level for emergency preparedness.

Related publications

Meit, M., Briggs, T., Kennedy, A., Sutton, J. and Feldman, J. 2007. "Spontaneous Evacuation Following a Dirty Bomb or Pandemic Influenza." NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis Policy Brief, W Series, No. 11. November. (1.2MB)

Meit, M., Kennedy, A. and Briggs, T. 2007. "Urban-to-Rural Evacuation: Planning for Population Surge." NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis Policy Brief, W Series, No. 9. April.