Food Protection Rapid Response Team Program Infrastructure ImprovementImplementation Project (U18)PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT/MILESTONESThe Texas Department of Health Services (DSHS) meets all criteria for eligibility offunding under this grant. The program serves as the state's manufactured food regulatoryprogram and has a current FDA food safety inspection contract. In 2009 the Food Safety& Security Program was awarded funding under Grant #1U18FD003835-01 (FoodProtection Rapid Response Team and Program Infrastructure Prototype Project).Funding received was used to establishment the Texas Rapid Response Team (TRRT),comprised of DSHS, Office of Texas State Chemist (OTSC) and FDA Dallas DistrictOffice (DALDO). The TRRT is built upon the Incident Command System (ICS)structure, with a unified command structure with DSHS, DALDO, and OTSC staffcollaboratively manning all positions. Federal, state and local agencies have all played arole in past food-borne illness responses, however, the ICS structure for the TRRT hasgreatly enhanced these efforts and led to significant improvement in our response andmitigation efforts.The TRRT has had one full activation, successfully tracing Salmonella Agona toMexican papayas last summer. One TableTop exercise has been completed with anotherfull exercise scheduled for the fall of 2012. All team members have been through theappropriate Incident Command System (ICS) training; Position Specific training will beheld for the Command Staff the winder of 2013. The TRRT Working Group, comprisedof the DSHS Food Safety Officer, the TRRT Program Director, the DALDO EmergencyResponse Coordinator and the OTSC Program Director is in the process of writing ourResponse Operating Guidelines (ROG) as well as Standard Operations Procedures(SOPs) for training, communications, activation/deactivation, with many other SOPsunder development.The funding was also utilized to perform a self-assessment of the DSHS ManufacturedFood Regulatory Program in order to develop an improvement plan as needed to enableDSHS to fully comply with the ten standards (MFRPS).As we continue to document our hard work and implement improvement plans, weexpect the RRT concept to render even better results with the continued efforts of thisupcoming grant year.
Food Protection Rapid Response Team and Program Infrastructure Improvement Prototype Project CFDA #93.103 Opportunity #RFA-FD-12-008 Page 1 of 1 DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES (DSHS) DIVISION FOR REGULATORY SERVICES ENVIRONMENTAL AND CONSUMER SAFETY SECTION FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) GRANT PROJECT NARRATIVE TRRT activation and compliance with the ten food standards will impact public health by reducing both food-borne illness and food contamination.
