Animal Health Emergency Management Home

National Preparedness and Incident Coordination Center (NPIC)

As leaders in animal health emergency management, we develop strategies and policies for effective incident management and help to coordinate incident response. As a liaison to outside emergency management groups, we ensure that Veterinary Services (VS) emergency management policies, strategies, and responses are consistent with national and international standards.

NPIC includes the following:

• Animal Disease Traceability (ADT)
• National Animal Health Emergency Response Corps (NAHERC)
• National Veterinary Accreditation Program (NVAP)
• Preparedness and Incident Coordination (PIC) (see below)

NPIC works closely with other Surveillance, Preparedness, and Response Services (SPRS) Centers, including the SPRS Logistics Center, One Health Coordination Center, Animal Health Commodity Centers (Cattle; Avian, Swine & Aquatic; Sheep, Goat, Cervid & Equine), and the 6 Districts which are responsible for field operations across the United States.

Preparedness and Incident Coordination

PIC does the following:

• Develops and distributes emergency response guidelines based on the National Incident Management System and National Response Framework.
• Develops the Foreign Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Plan. 
• Coordinates investigations and disseminates information about foreign animal disease investigations and events.
• Supports the Secure Food Supply Plans, collaborating with public-private-academic partnerships to facilitate business continuity in the event of a foreign animal disease incident.
• Develops the Emergency Management Response System (EMRS) 2.0, which is used to manage the investigation of U.S. animal disease outbreaks.

Contact Us

U.S. Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Veterinary Services
National Preparedness and Incident Coordination
4700 River Road, Unit 41
Riverdale, MD 20737
301-851-3595 (main number)
301-734-7817 (fax)
Emergency ONLY: 800-940-6524

Organizational Chart
Coming soon.

Authorities Relating to Animal Health, Foreign Animal Diseases, and Emergency Management

• Statutory Authorities
  • Animal Health Protection Act
  • Animal Welfare Act
  • Homeland Security Presidential Directives (HSPDs) and Presidential Policy Directives (PPDs)
    • HSPD-5 (Management of Domestic Incidents)
    • PPD-8 (National Preparedness)
    • HSPD-9 (Defense of United States Agriculture and Food)
    • HSPD-12 (Policies for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors)
    • PPD-21  (Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience)
  • Homeland Security Act of 2002
  • The Stafford Act
• Code of Federal Regulations
  • 9 CFR 71.2 and 71.3 (Rule Governing Quarantine and Interstate Movement of Diseased Animals, including Poultry, including African swine fever, hog cholera [classical swine fever], contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, contagious equine metritis, dourine, foot-and-mouth disease, glanders, highly pathogenic avian influenza, Rinderpest, scabies, Teschen, screwworms, vesicular exanthema)
  • 9 CFR 53 (Foot-and-Mouth Disease, pleuropneumonia, Rinderpest, and Certain Other Communicable Diseases of Livestock or Poultry)
  • 9 CFR 161 (Requirements and Standards for Accredited Veterinarians)
  • 9 CFR 56 (Control of H5/H7 Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza)
  • 9 CFR 82 (Newcastle disease and chlamydiosis in Poultry)
  • 9 CFR 94 (Rinderpest, foot-and-mouth disease, Newcastle disease, highly pathogenic avian influenza, African swine fever, classical swine fever, swine vesicular disease, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy: Prohibited and restricted importations)

Animal Disease Information

• VS Fact Sheets
• World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)
  OIE is the intergovernmental organization responsible for improving animal health worldwide.

Additional Resources

• Foreign animal disease training information
• Disinfectants
• National Summary Plans and Guidelines
  • National Incident Management System
  • National Response Framework