The Swine Medicine Education Center at Iowa State University recently partnered with Iowa Pork to host this year’s Livestock Rollover Training. The hands-on training event focused on emergency response preparedness for livestock trailer rollover situations involving pigs and other livestock.
The training is part of Iowa State University’s fourth-year veterinary rotation program, VDPAM/SMEC 7478C: Swine Emerging Diseases and Emergency Response Management.
Emergency responders, veterinarians, pork industry leaders, and transportation partners came together to strengthen Iowa’s response efforts during livestock transportation emergencies. Participants learned key areas of rollover response, including team roles and responsibilities, trailer design and equipment, animal handling, and humane euthanasia practices.
Organizers said trainings like these help build coordinated response teams that protect both public safety and animal welfare across Iowa’s pork industry.
County emergency coordinators, fire departments, law enforcement officers, and Iowa DOT workers participated in the training exercises alongside industry professionals.
A special thank you was extended to Tegeler Wrecker & Crane of Cedar Rapids, Iowa Select Farms, and JBS for providing trucks and trailers used during the demonstration. Their support gave attendees valuable hands-on learning opportunities during the emergency response exercises.
The Swine Medicine Education Center noted the importance of continued collaboration between the pork industry and emergency response teams to improve preparedness during livestock transportation incidents.