Emergency preparedness

What happens if a foreign animal disease such as Foot and Mouth appears in the U.S.?  For the past 7 years, representatives from the beef, pork and dairy industries have teamed up with USDA's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to prepare for just such an emergency.

I had an amazing opportunity this week to visit USDA's APHIS Emergency Operations Center in Riverdale, Maryland.  The Cross Species Emergency Preparedness Team invited a select group of media in to the Center for an inside look at what would happen behind the scenes in the event of an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD.) 

One of the highlights came in the afternoon when we participated in a unique table top exercise (the table top is pictured here) to get a better understanding of what would happen in the case of an actual confirmed outbreak of FMD.  We took a walk in the shoes of producers and first responders, making the decisions that affect the outcome of an outbreak scenario.