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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 NRF. Based on this plan, FSIS is responsible for ensuring
the safety and defense of the Nation's supply of meat, poultry, and processed egg products 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 Framework 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 Directive
5500.2, Rev. 5, Significant Incident Response outlines
how the agency will respond to significant food incidents and emergencies,
both intentional and unintentional. The principles are consistent
with the National Incident Management System/Incident Command System
(NIMS/ICS) LINK structure.
Emergency Management Committee
The Office of Data Integration and Food Protection manages the FSIS
Emergency Management Committee (EMC), which is comprised of senior
members of the agency's program areas and can be convened 24/7 to
respond to all emergencies (significant incidents) using Incident
Command System (ICS) principles. Directive
5500.2, Rev. 5, Significant Incident Response established
the operating principles of the EMC.
Exercises
FSIS regularly conducts food defense exercises at the Department, 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.
FSIS also conducts yearly human pandemic exercises and exercises related to periods of heightened awareness.
Additionally, FSIS' three laboratories regularly conduct 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.
Additional information about FERN can be found in the Biennial Report to Congress on the Food Emergency Response Network.
FSIS' Incident Management System (FIMS)
A web-based common operating platform that allows program managers to rapidly identify, respond to, and
track the Agency's response to significant incidents involving meat, poultry, and processed egg products and other large scale
emergencies, such as hurricanes and pandemics, that could affect FSIS-regulated products.
Continuity of Operations
FSIS' has developed, tested, and deployed its Continuity of Operations Plan 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: October 18, 2011 |
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