FDA's field workforce, comprises about 32 percent of FDA's total staffing and performs inspections, sample collections and analyses of both domestic and imported products, and initiates enforcement actions. In addition to conducting regular surveillance over regulated products, this workforce also serves a critical response function when the Agency must respond to emergencies by immediately mobilizing to investigate reports of product problems including tampering incidents and those due to natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods and earthquakes. The field workforce is also involved in informing businesses and consumers about FDA-related topics, and in working with state and local agencies to develop programs that make the best use of Federal, state, and local resources in protecting the public health.
FDA's field force conducts investigational and laboratory functions for all of FDA's major product areas -- Foods, Human Drugs, Biologics, Animal Drugs and Feeds, and Medical Devices and Radiological Products. With a highly-trained staff versed in all of FDA's product responsibilities, the Agency can respond rapidly to various types of emergencies, and redirects field efforts during the year among FDA's different programs to responod to unforseen emergencies. Examples in FY 1999 include a multistate Salmonella baildon outbreak associated to tomatoes; and possible blood cross contamination associated with dialysis tubing and filter.
To complement the regular field force, the Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) was established during FY 1992 as part of FDAs efforts to more effectively investigate instances of criminal activity in the regulated industries. Agents are given intensive training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glenco, Georgia and are assigned to offices throughout the country.
Field facilities include Regional Offices, District Offices, laboratories, OCI field offices, and resident posts. The five Regional Offices are staff offices which coordinate FDA activities and also coordinate with state authorities. The 19 District Offices serve as offices for investigators and compliance action staff, and are the main control point for day-to-day operations in their assigned areas. The 13 laboratories provide FDA's basic field product testing capability. A number of these laboratories serve as specialized facilities for certain types of testing and new regulatory methods development. (see map)
In addition to these facilities, FDA maintains over 120 resident posts distributed widely across the country. These are smaller offices which serve primarily as a base for investigators so that FDA can have investigative staff widely dispersed to respond to emergencies whenever they occur, as quickly as possible to minimize any potential harm.
With all of these Field facilities combined, FDA maintains offices and staff in 49 of the States, and in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. (A partial list of FDA facilities follows.)
| Location | Activities |
| Washington,
D.C. area: Rockville, MD |
FDA Headquarters and headquarters operations of the Human Drugs, Biologics, Animal Drugs, Device and Radiological Health products programs and laboratories |
| Washington, D.C. | Foods program headquarters and laboratories |
| Bethesda, MD | Human Drugs and Biologics laboratories |
| Beltsville, MD | Foods and Animal Drugs Research facilities |
| Field
Operations Facilities: Jefferson, AR |
Arkansas Regional Laboratory |
| Oakland, CA | San Francisco Regional Office |
| Alameda, CA | San Francisco District Office and laboratory |
| Irvine, CA | Los Angeles District Office |
| Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles District laboratory |
| Denver, CO | Denver District Office and laboratory (special emphasis in animal drugs residue testing) |
| Orlando, FL | Florida District Office |
| Atlanta, GA | Atlanta Regional Office, Regional laboratory, and District Office |
| Chicago, IL | Chicago District Office |
| Lenexa, KS | Kansas District Office and laboratory (special emphasis in pesticides and total diet analysis) |
| New Orleans, LA | New Orleans District Office |
| Stoneham, MA | New England District Office |
| Winchester, MA | Winchester Engineering and Analytical Center (testing of Medical Devices and Radiological Health Research products)- Testing facility for Radionuclides and Radiopharmaceutics. |
| Baltimore, MD | Baltimore District Office |
| Detroit, MI | Detroit District Office and laboratory |
| Minneapolis, MN | Minneapolis District Office |
| Parsippany, NJ | New Jersey District Office |
| Jamaica, NY | New York Regional Office, Regional laboratory and District Office |
| Cincinnati, OH | Cincinnati District Office and Forensic Chemistry Center (elemental analysis) |
| Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia Regional Office, District Office, and laboratory |
| San Juan, PR | San Juan District Office and laboratory (special emphasis in human drugs products testing) |
| Dallas, TX | Dallas Regional Office and District Office |
| Bothell, WA | Seattle District Office testing and laboratory (special emphasis in seafood products) |
| Other Specialized facilities: | |
| Dauphin Island, AL | Fishery research (CFSAN) |
| Jefferson, AR | National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) |
| St. Louis, MO | Specialized human drugs product testing laboratory (CDER) |
Edited 2/29/2000