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| FSIS works with other government agencies and private sector organizations to ensure
that it is able to respond quickly and effectively to an attack on the food supply, major disease outbreak, or
other disaster affecting the national food infrastructure. |
Links:
National Response Framework Activities
FSIS worked with other Federal agencies to develop the Food and Agriculture Incident Annex
to the National Response
Framework (NRF). The Annex outlines the food sector's plan to respond to emergencies. FSIS' responsibilities
fall under Emergency Support
Function 11 (ESF-11) (PDF Only) designated in the NRP. Based on this plan, FSIS is responsible for ensuring
the safety and defense of the food supply in the event of a national incident by assisting State and local
authorities in their response.
FSIS is also collaborating with the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop
the International Assistance System (IAS). The IAS is a set of policies and procedures designed for the review
and receipt of offers of international assistance and resources during domestic disasters declared under the
National Response Plan and pursuant to the Stafford Act.
National Incident Management/Incident Command System Training
FSIS ensures that appropriate agency staff receive introductory and advanced National
Incident Management System (NIMS) (PDF Only) and ICS training.
Emergency Management
FSIS developed Directive 5500.2, Rev. 3,
Significant Incident Response, which outlines how the agency will respond to non-routine food
emergencies, both intentional and unintentional. The principles are consistent with the National Incident
Management System/Incident Command System (NIMS/ICS) LINK structure.
Exercises
FSIS regularly conducts food defense exercises at the headquarters
and field level to test preparedness and response procedures (i.e., how program offices would manage an emergency and
how FSIS functions in an ICS structure, including product recalls and communication issues). Summary Reports and After
Action Reports from the exercises can be viewed at Exercise Reports.
These exercises include representatives from Federal, State, and local government agencies, tribal nations,
industry, and consumer groups.
Additionally, FSIS' three laboratories conduct monthly exercises to test their emergency response plans.
State Emergency Response Activities
Links:
FSIS partnered with National
Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to create a template to assist States and local first responders
in developing their own response plans that meet States' needs and are consistent with the NRP. The template
is intended to facilitate cooperation and coordination among Federal and State agencies when responding to
incidents involving the food supply.
FSIS also conducts exercises with State and local government agencies and industry to practice a coordinated
response to an intentional adulteration incident in the food supply.
Food Emergency Response Network (FERN)
Through the FERN
network FSIS has access to other Federal and State food-testing laboratories to handle any surge capacity
that might be needed in responding to an intentional contamination event.
Non-Routine Incident Management System (NRIMS)
A web-based common operating platform that allows program managers to rapidly identify, respond to, and
track the Agency's response to incidents involving meat, poultry, and egg products and other large scale
emergencies, such as hurricanes and pandemics, that could affect FSIS-regulated food.
Continuity of Operations
FSIS' has developed, tested, and deployed its Continuity of Operations and Standard Operating Procedures for
Emergency Response to ensure that inspection services will be provided even in the event that headquarters is
rendered inoperable, whether from a terrorist event, or an act of nature.
FSIS Human Pandemic Operations Plan
FSIS has an essential role as part of the ongoing Federal efforts to prepare for the possibility of a
human influenza pandemic. As such, FSIS developed a plan to address workforce issues in the event of a
pandemic.
FSIS Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Plan
FSIS has also developed a response plan for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). It includes the
development of a product testing protocol for poultry meat, and the development of enhanced inspection
procedures to be used if infected birds are detected in FSIS-regulated facilities.
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Last Modified: November 17, 2008 |
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