FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, October 8, 2007

For more information contact:
Ted Sloan

(502) 564-4696

KDA PARTICIPATES IN EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION STUDY

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky and five other states are participating in a pilot project to measure how quickly and effectively they can communicate with agricultural stakeholders in the event of an animal disease outbreak.

“At the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, we are constantly testing and upgrading our emergency communications processes,” Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer said. “If an agricultural emergency occurs, we will be able to send important emergency messages to the public quickly so that people can take steps to protect themselves and their property.”

State Veterinarian Robert C. Stout and his counterparts in Arkansas, Montana, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas will perform three tasks in the next six months. On Oct. 29, they will send a mock animal disease-related message through the County Animal Security and Health Network (CASHN). In Kentucky, the message will go to Extension administrators at the University of Kentucky and Kentucky State University. In November, the state veterinarians will be asked to deliver a list of sample animal disease-related messages that could be delivered to feed retailers and their customers through CASHN. In January and February, they will send three mock animal disease messages by e-mail through the network.

The pilot study is headed by the National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense based at Texas A&M University.

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