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Emergency Preparedness and Response

APHIS Emergency Operations Center (AEOC)

The APHIS Emergency Operations Center (AEOC) is the primary national hub for animal, plant, and all hazard incident operation, communications, and information dissemination pertaining to agricultural emergency incident management. Located at the APHIS headquarters facility in Riverdale, Maryland, the AEOC integrates and provides overall monitoring and operations support during an emergency and serves as the Secretary of Agriculture’s primary point of coordination.

AEOC Functions
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The AEOC is used in both routine and emergency situations. When an emergency operation is not underway, the Center’s facilities is used to monitor and report on international and domestic surveillance of pest pathogens and disease conditions of concern and to conduct advanced training. During an emergency, the AEOC can support 40 or more personnel and operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The facility is used through all phases of an emergency, from initial situation assessment through response coordination and support and lastly to the “after-action” phases.

The AEOC features advanced technology that allows team members to communicate with field personnel and USDA leadership.

Communications capabilities include: Video teleconferencing; advanced computer interfaces; geographical information system mapping; and strong multimedia components.

AEOC Facilities
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The AEOC is structured into three main areas:

  • Center for Incident Coordination (CINC)
    The CINC holds state-of-the-art communications equipment capable of providing rapid and coordinated briefings from the 21 high-powered work stations and four large projection screens. Presentations can be video teleconferenced to external and internal sites and graphic presentations can be video projected to screens located throughout the center. Accuracy of time for various spots worldwide is assured via satellite feed master clocks, which are linked by satellite with the atomic clock in Fort Collins, Colorado.

  • Leadership Incident Coordination Center (LINC)
    The LINC is equipped with state-of-the-art video conferencing equipment that can be linked to the CINC or programmed to work independently. This room contains a large conference table and has two large plasma screens located on the wall which can be programmed by a remote touch screen pad. Video conferencing nationally and internationally is also accessible, as well as multimedia capabilities, such as VCR, DVD, and LCD.

  • Emergency Response Center (ERC)
    The ERC holds individual work stations, each equipped with a computer and desk camera. This equipment supports the capability to participate in teleconferencing from any work station. The ERC has the telecommunications technology and capability to serve as a “call center” to address public questions or concerns during animal or plant health emergencies.

AEOC Use
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The AEOC has been activated and used to support the following APHIS emergency incidents: The detection of Exotic Newcastle disease (END) in the Southwest in 2003;

  • The detection of a bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) infected cow in Washington State in 2003;
  • A small outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Texas in 2004;
  • A National Phytophthora ramorum survey and control program in 2004; and
  • The detection of soybean rust in the South in 2004.

The AEOC is also used routinely to conduct emergency management and response exercises and training.

 

 

Last Modified: January 20, 2007