Pima County Health Department RFA-FD-20-012 Achieving Conformance with FDA Standards 2 & 4 The Pima County Health Department Consumer Health and Food Safety Division (CHFS or the Division) requests $65,191.91 to achieve full conformance with Standard 2 and Standard 4 of the Food and Drug Administration's Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (FDA VNRFRPS). CHFS has been enrolled in the VNRFRPS since 2015. An award will ensure all staff, a total of twenty two (22) employees, complete field standardization and can serve as effective Food Safety Inspection Officers (FSIO). Field standardization ensures retail food businesses are subject to the same standards of scrutiny, protecting public health and reducing the incidence of illnesses connected with unsafe food- handling practices. The CHFS program currently has only one individual certified by the Arizona Department of Health Services as a Standardized FSIO, limiting the amount of training and Standardizing inspections that can be conducted for the Division. In order to reach full conformance with Standard 2: Trained Regulatory Staff, and Standard 4: Uniform Inspection Program, the Division will accomplish the following project objectives: 1) Initiate standardization of the CHFS Training Team with Arizona Department of Health Services; 2) Standardize Environmental Health Specialists as outlined in Standard 2 Step 4: Food Safety Inspection Officer - Field Standardization; 3) complete pre- and post-courses featured in the FDA's curriculum for Retail Food Safety Inspection Officers; 4) Send staff to environmental health conferences to gain experience and build relationships with other local health departments advancing conformance with retail food regulation standards; and 5) Provide adequate time for Environmental Health Specialists and Environmental Health Supervisors to complete routine inspections and assessments in order to demonstrate program effectiveness. Completing these project objectives will allow the Division to achieve full conformance with Standards 2 and 4, which will in turn reduce contributing risk factors associated with foodborne illness. Success of this program will be indicated by the number of staff certified as standardized FSIOs, the number of staff who attend national conferences or FDA trainings, the number of uniform inspections completed, and the number pre- and post-course hours completed by staff.
Pima County Health Department RFA-FD-20-012 Achieving Conformance with FDA Standards 2 & 4 Project Narrative Ensuring trained, certified staff are able to protect consumers to the highest standard is in everyone's best interest. Pima County Health Department Consumer Health Food Safety Division will ensure all Food Safety Officers are standardized and certified by the Arizona Department of Health Services - Office of Environmental Health - Food Safety and Environmental Services as Standardized Food Safety Inspection Officers. This will allow restaurants throughout Pima County to receive the same standard of inspection and reduce the incidence of foodborne illnesses, protecting the most vulnerable and ensuring healthy spaces for workers and consumers alike.
