CHS safety representatives joined local, state and national emergency response agencies in Crookston, Minn., in June 2024 for a crisis preparedness exercise to practice responding to a potential incident that could impact the health and safety of the local community. The goal of the session was to continue to bolster the critical local, county, state and national collaboration needed to ensure employee and community safety if an incident were to occur.
“This is a great example of CHS employees putting our cooperative spirit and safety values into action,” says Rick Dusek, executive vice president, ag retail, distribution and transportation. “Partnering with local and national agencies to keep our communities safe, strong and prepared for potential incidents is at the heart of who we are as a company and a great example of creating connections to empower agriculture.”
Sponsored by Polk County Emergency Management and CHS, with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5, participants walked through a fictional emergency scenario and the roles each organization needs to play in responding to such an event.
“On behalf of the EPA, I would like to sincerely thank all who participated in this drill for their valuable input, discussion and insight into emergency response and planning,” says Monika Chrzaszcz, environmental engineer and outreach coordinator, EPA.
CHS participates in a variety of ongoing community outreach activities to ensure community safety. Our local teams regularly conduct walk-throughs of our facilities with fire departments and first responders. They provide opportunities to meet and talk with local responders about the type of activities performed at our sites and to make them aware of any potential hazards.
“We are always looking for outreach opportunities in our communities and use them to learn from each other,” says Matt Surdick, senior director, environment, health and safety, CHS. "Bringing together a wide variety of organizations to discuss responses to a potential emergency incident allows us to practice our response and ensure everyone is on the same page about their responsibilities. It’s a win-win for everyone."
