NC Food Defense Lessons Learned From Interagency Exercises J. Steven Cline, DDS, MPH Chief, Epidemiology NC Division of Public Health
Jan 05, 2016
NC Food DefenseLessons Learned From Interagency Exercises
J. Steven Cline, DDS, MPHChief, Epidemiology
NC Division of Public Health
FOOD DEFENSE
• United States and North Carolina have an agricultural economic base
• Food and agriculture are critical infrastructures
• Threats exist that could cause tremendous toll in human & animal suffering/death, as well as economically cripple the state and the nation
• National priority to harden our food chain
Agriculture in North Agriculture in North CarolinaCarolina
2nd in Turkey production2nd in Turkey production 2nd in Swine production2nd in Swine production 3rd in Poultry production3rd in Poultry production 18% of the workforce18% of the workforce Large variety of crops (not just tobacco)Large variety of crops (not just tobacco)
Agribusiness = $62 Billion Annually
North Carolina Live Animal Shipments
Swine
Goats
Sheep and Lambs
Poultry
Beef Cattle
Dairy Cattle
CanadaMexico
South America
CanadaMexico
Live animals are shipped to a total of 27 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada and South America!The accidental introduction of a disease such FMD would have a devastating national impact!
Puerto Rico
NORTH CAROLINANORTH CAROLINA
FOOD SECURITY PROJECTFOOD SECURITY PROJECT
Protecting North Carolina’s food supply and our economy!
NC Food Safety and Security Task NC Food Safety and Security Task ForceForce
Public-private partnershipPublic-private partnership Increased collaboration and communicationIncreased collaboration and communication Began November 2001Began November 2001 Formalized by Executive Order 52 signed Formalized by Executive Order 52 signed
Sept 2003Sept 2003 Provide oversight to NC Food Defense Provide oversight to NC Food Defense
ProjectProject Co-Chaired by Public Health & AgCo-Chaired by Public Health & Ag
Interagency Project Team Composition:
NCDA&CSNC Public HealthNC SBINC DOJNCCC&PSOther NC AgenciesNC Insurance CommissionIndustry OrganizationsFederal AgenciesOther States
Project ComponentsSeamless approach to surveillance/signal detectionThreat AssessmentVulnerability Assessment ProcessGIS DatabaseIntegrated Threat Reduction Plan to Mitigate,
Respond & Recover Industry & Government Training Conduct Exercises
NC Food Defense NC Food Defense ExercisesExercises
Silent Prairie - June 2003 Top Off 2 - May 2003 (Remote
Monitoring) Dark Pantry - June 2003 Crimson Sky, Crimson Winter, &
Crimson Guard - Sept. 2003-February 2004
Silent Farmland - Aug. and Oct. 2003 Triple Play - Oct.-Dec. 2003
Dark PantryA
North Carolina Food Security Exercise
Dark PantryExercise Objectives:To exercise NC capabilities to prevent, detect, respond to, and recover from an attack on the state’s food supply. To determine support requirements and assistance necessary from state and federal agencies
To identify shortcomings and inefficiencies in capabilities
To assess communication and coordination between Public Health, Ag, emergency response organizations, and law enforcement with industry stakeholders
Dark Pantry
Exercise Outcomes:
Identify and Examine Key Policy issues for an effective, interagency response to a bio-terrorism event in NCExamine current response, containment and recovery plans for dealing with a bio-terrorism event in NCExamine inter-agency coordination, resource, and force multiplication capabilities required for such an eventExamine the public-private cooperation, coordination and resource requirements for such an event.
Dark Pantry
DEC 012 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 San Francisco
Los Angeles
Fairfield Greeley
Fort Morgan
AmarilloTempe
Jasper
IndianapolisNorth Platt
Fort WorthSanger
DallasPlano
Park City
Seattle-Tacoma
Cheyenne
# Sick:
# Dead:# ICU:
Ant
hrax
Bot
ulin
um
0 00 00 0
0 500 170 8
1072 178 391 66 209 28
1545 200502 88497 36
2384 268599 1031012 45
16 18 30
Multi Hazard Threat DatabaseMulti Hazard Threat Database
•Password Protected
•Secure Socket Layer Connection
Greenville, Pitt County
Lessons LearnedLessons LearnedFood Defense PerspectivesFood Defense Perspectives
Communications
Partnerships Planning Assessment
Mitigation Resources Training Legal
CommunicationsCommunications
Single most important element of success
Emergency vs. Non-Emergency Communications systems Maintain Contact Lists ICS key Situational vs. Intelligence Sharing
Example: ISAACExample: ISAAC
PartnershipsPartnerships
Redefine working together Respect Industry’s position You can’t do it all and you can’t
do anything by yourself Trust
Example: SART - CARTsExample: SART - CARTs
AssessmentAssessment
Sector Specific Assess Threats and
Vulnerabilities Involve Law Enforcement
Example: Exotic Newcastle Example: Exotic Newcastle DiseaseDisease
PlanningPlanning
Written Interagency Protocols Must be Sector Specific Don’t be surprised Recovery is the key
Example: “White Powder Example: “White Powder Protocol” Protocol”
MitigationMitigation
Bring “prevention thinking” to the table
Things Industry may not think of or has not had to deal with (e.g. mob control, rationing food, media/risk communication)
Example: Infectious Disease Example: Infectious Disease Mitigation PlanMitigation Plan
ResourcesResources
Lab capacity Workforce Development Listen to Industry needs Mechanism for securing funds
during an emergency Ongoing funding/sustainability
Example: Ag labs back-up to LRN Example: Ag labs back-up to LRN
TrainingTraining
Keep it simple Think modular Act small but think big Practice-Practice-Practice
Example: UNC Learning Example: UNC Learning Management SystemManagement System
““One Medicine Conferences”One Medicine Conferences”
LegalLegal
Law Enforcement involvement Security Clearances Liability “red herring”
Example: Forensic EpidemiologyExample: Forensic Epidemiology
Parting ShotsParting Shots
Should preparedness funding account for agriculture risk?
Shouldn’t we have a national Consumer Complaint System?
Why aren’t we adding state agriculture labs to the LRN?
How do we harden the US Postal Service?
NC Food DefenseLessons Learned From Interagency Exercises
Thank YouJ. Steven Cline, DDS, MPH