Simulation exercise: Foot and mouth disease in Australia-5

Dr Gardner Murray, Chief Veterinary Officer, Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry, informed the OIE that that The Western Australian Department of Agriculture will host a National Emergency Animal Disease (EAD) training exercise in South Perth, Australia, between 16 and 19 May 2006.

Exercise WILD WEST will test Western Australia’s response capability to a simulated outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) and the integration of the national EAD Rapid Response Team (RRT) in setting up emergency response arrangements.

Jurisdictions in Australia share the funding of a national RRT to provide rapid deployment of trained and experienced personnel to assist in managing the response to an outbreak of a serious EAD.

Exercise WILD WEST will involve 120 Department staff, 40 members of the RRT and a number of controllers and facilitators. Representatives from the Fire and Emergency Services Authority, Police, local government, the Australian Veterinary Reserve and livestock industries will also be involved.

The scope of the exercise is limited to the activities of two Local Disease Control Centres (LDCCs) and a State Disease Control Headquarters (SDCHQ) with remote electronic communication between them. The exercise will be a desk top response to a simulated outbreak of FMD and there will be no field activities nor any response required.

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Animal Health Information Department
World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)
[email protected]