ESF 11 - Ag and Natural Resources

Emergency Support Function (ESF) #11

Agriculture and Natural Resources

Primary Agency

Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Virginia Cooperative Extension Office

Department of Social Services

Virginia Department of Health

Central Shenandoah Health District

Animal Care and Control

Secondary/Support Agencies

Virginia Department of Social Services

American Red Cross

Local/Regional Food Banks

Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VVOAD)

SPCA

Rockingham County Fairgrounds

VSART/CART

Local Veterinarians

Introduction

Purpose:

Emergency Support Function #11 (Agriculture and Natural Resources) works to address the provision of nutrition assistance and the assurance of food safety and security. ESF 11 also works to control and eradicate outbreaks of highly contagious or economically devastating animal/zoonotic disease, highly infective plant disease, or economically devastating plant pest infestation, and ensures that animal/veterinary/and wildlife issues are supported. Additionally, ESF 11 works to protect historic property and cultural resources during an incident.

Scope:

Activities will be undertaken to:

Identify food assistance needs.

Obtain appropriate food supplies and/or arrange for transportation of food supplies to the designated area.

Detect an event that will impact food and agriculture through the reporting of illness, disease/pest surveillance, routine testing, consumer complaints, and/or environmental monitoring.

Implement an integrated response to an outbreak of highly contagious or economically devastating animal diseases, infective exotic plant diseases or an economically devastating plant pest infestation.

Coordinate with ESF #8 (Public Health and Medical Services) and ESF 6 (Mass Care, Housing, and Human Resources) to ensure that animal animal search, rescue, recovery, care and reunification/veterinary/and wildlife issues are supported.

Inspect and verify food safety in distribution and retail sites.

Conduct food borne disease surveillance and field investigations.

Coordinate appropriate response actions to conserve, rehabilitate, recover, and restore natural, cultural, and historic properties resources.

Policies:

Each supporting agency is responsible for managing its assets and resources after receiving direction from the Department of Social Services.

Actions will be coordinated with agencies responsible for mass feeding.

This ESF will encourage the use of mass feeding as the primary outlet for disaster food supplies.

Schools and institutions may be able to feed affected population for several days.

Food supplies secured and delivered are for household distribution or congregate meal services.

Transportation and distribution may be arranged, in coordination with ESF #17 (Volunteer and Donation Management), by volunteer organizations,

Priority is given to moving supplies into areas of critical need and then to areas of moderate need.

Animal depopulation activities and disposal will be conducted as humanely as possible; and

Ensure food safety.

Concept of Operations

General:

The Rockingham/Harrisonburg Department of Social Services and the VA Cooperative Extension Office with the help of the Health Department; will assume the coordinator’s role of this ESF. The Coordinator will organize staff based on the four functional areas. It organizes and coordinates resources and capabilities to facilitate the delivery of services, assistance, and expertise.

ESF #11 provides for an integrated response to an outbreak of highly contagious or economically devastating animal/zoonotic disease, exotic plant disease, or economically devastating plant or pest infestation.

ESF #11, in coordination with ESF #13 (Public Safety and Security), also ensures the safety and security of the commercial supply of food (meat, poultry and egg products) following an incident.

ESF #11 identifies, secures, and arranges for the transportation of food when normal supply or distribution systems are disrupted.

Organization:

The coordination depends on the type of assistance required at the time. When an incident requires assistance from more than one of the functions, the Rockingham/Harrisonburg Department of Social Services provides overall direction.

Once the ESF is activated the coordinator will contact appropriate support agencies to assess the situation and determine appropriate actions.

The locality will activate its EOC. A local emergency may need to be declared to initiate response activities.

For food supply safety and security, The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Central Shenandoah Health District coordinate the field response.

Actions:

Determine the critical needs of the affected population.

Catalog available resources and locate these resources.

Ensure food is fit for consumption.

Coordinate shipment of food to staging areas.

Obtain critical food supplies that are unavailable from existing inventories.

Identify animal and plant disease outbreaks, and

Provide inspection, fumigation, disinfection, sanitation, pest termination and destruction of animals or articles found to be contaminated/infected.

Document expenses related to incident response.

Responsibilities:

Provides guidance to unaffected areas as to precautions that may be taken to ensure animal and plant health.

Ensure proper handling and packing of any samples and shipments to the appropriate research laboratory.

Provides information and recommendations to the Harrisonburg/ Rockingham Health Department for outbreak incidents.

Assigns veterinary personnel to assist in delivering animal health care and performing preventative medicine activities. A list of resources will be maintained by the animal control officers of both City and County.

Conduct subsequent investigations jointly with other law enforcement agencies.

Assess the operating status of inspected meat, poultry and egg product processing, distribution, import and retail facilities in the affected area.

Evaluate the adequacy of inspectors, program investigators and laboratory services relative to the incident.

Establish, and in coordination with ESF #6 and #17, logistical links with organizations involved in long-term congregate meal service.

Establish need for replacement food products.

Emergency Support Function #11 – Attachment 1 ________________________________________________

PER PERSON

FOOD GOUPS AND FOOD ITEMS PER WEEK STANDARD

Meat and meat alternatives (red meat, poultry, fish, shellfish,

cheese, dry beans, peas, and nuts) ………………….…………………...3 pounds*

Eggs…………………………………………………………………………..6

Milk……………………………………………………………………………7 pints

Cereals and cereal products (flour including mixes, fresh bakery

products, corn meal, rice, macaroni, and

breakfast cereals…………………………………………………….……..4 pounds

Fruits and vegetables (fresh and frozen)…………………….…………..2 pounds

Food fats and oils (butter, margarine, lard, shortening and

Salad and cooking oils……………………………………………….……..0.5 pounds

Potatoes (white and sweet)……………………………………….……….2 pounds

Sugars, syrups, honey, and other sweets…...………………………….0.5 pounds

* Boneless, add 1 pound for bone-in