• Business Services
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• Emergency Management Safety and Security

Emergency Management, Safety, and Security Division (EMSSD)

EMSSD provides services that support agency and interagency emergency management activities, and protect the health, safety, and security of APHIS and other USDA personnel.

Emergency preparedness and response services include:  

• Providing training and exercise programs that prepare APHIS employees and incident  management teams to respond to pest and disease outbreaks, animal relocation events, and disasters;
• Managing the APHIS Emergency Operations Center and coordinating support for two additional emergency operations centers;
• Managing the APHIS Voluntary Emergency Ready Response Corps and the Emergency Qualification System, and dispatching employees and incident management teams to respond to incidents;
• Coordinating Emergency Support Function #11 – Agriculture and Natural Resources of the National Response Framework;
• Overseeing APHIS’ continuity of operations program;
• Coordinating the Agency Common Operating Picture and Key Performance Indicators;
• Coordinating APHIS situation reporting; and
• Coordinating APHIS’ review of and contribution to interagency emergency preparedness and response policies, plans, reports, and other documents.

Safety, health, and environmental protection services include:  

• Managing APHIS’ occupational safety and health program, including its safety and health, industrial hygiene, and biosafety components;
• Managing APHIS’ environmental protection program;  
• Providing ergonomics services for APHIS and Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) employees, and some Agricultural Research Service employees;
• Implementing the drug-free workplace and workers’ compensation programs for APHIS, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), and FAS; and
• Managing claims filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act and Military Personnel and Civilian Employees’ Claims Act for APHIS, AMS, FAS, and the Grain, Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA). 

Security services include:

• Assessing physical security for APHIS workplaces;
• Providing situational awareness, self-defense, and active shooter training to employees;
• Investigating, assessing, and mitigating threats to APHIS programs and personnel;
• Managing APHIS’ Classified National Security Information program;
• Administering the workplace violence prevention program for APHIS and FAS;
• Providing badging, threat assessment, and security systems support to APHIS, AMS and GIPSA; and
• Providing security expertise to USDA’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Coordination.

 
APHIS Vision and Goals - How We Do Business (Employees Only)

EMMS Programs & Services for Employees Only