September 11, 2008

LANSING - As part of the fifth annual National Preparedness Month, the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) coordinated a multi-agency, multi-location emergency management exercise demonstrating response activities if Foot and Mouth Disease was identified in Michigan.

“This was a major undertaking not just for MDA, but for the State of Michigan as a whole,” said Don Koivisto, MDA director. “While we have not yet received our final evaluation, several of the evaluators told me they'd not been involved with any exercises that had so many parts or so many different agencies and types of participants. Though there is always room for improvement, this further underscores that we are able to respond quickly and effectively in an agricultural-related disaster.”

As part of the exercise, the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (MSP/EMHSD) activated the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC). The SEOC coordinated response efforts with several different locations; including: the Incident Command Post set-up at the Ingham County Fairgrounds; Emergency Coordination Centers for MDA, the Michigan departments of Environmental Quality and Natural Resources; and the Ingham County Emergency Operations Center. In conjunction with the exercise, the MSP/EMHSD also conducted a statewide 800 MHz radio test.

“Bringing together local, state and federal government agencies, as well as the academic and private sectors to test our plans is an important part of Michigan’s preparedness efforts,” said Col. Peter C. Munoz, Director of the Michigan State Police and State Homeland Security Director “This exercise was a significant event that helped to improve our response capabilities across the board.”

In addition to the many parts of the exercise itself, MDA organized an observers’ tour so the livestock industry and other stakeholders could see the state’s response efforts.

“Practicing for the worst case scenario will have benefits for the many potential challenges facing the livestock industry,” said Kathleen Hawkins, executive vice president, Michigan Cattleman’s Association. “MDA’s proactive and collaborative approach to this exercise is to be commended.”

MDA’s Emergency Management Program is responsible for preparing MDA staff, industry partners and general consumers for events that are deemed as emergency or crisis. The program works to ensure that Michigan's agriculture and food supply is safe and secure.

For more information on MDA’s Emergency Management Program, visit the MDA Web site at www.michigan.gov/mda-emergency. For tips on how to prepare for an emergency, visit www.ready.gov.

Photos from the event may be viewed here.