Food Emergency Response 420 Command and General Staff Course

<p>Project Summary/Abstract: As a recipient of funding under PAR-12-116, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) proposes to task a private contractor to develop a Food Emergency Response I 420 course that meets NWCG curriculum development and training standards. After which, up to 4 Rapid Response Teams (RRT) will be invited to the International Food Protection Training Institute, topilot the 5 day course training. The 5 day I 420 course is designed to prepare students to function as an Incident Management Team (IMT) in the position of incident commander, command or general staff. The focus of the course is on team building, collaboration and cooperation, and applying previously acquired Incident Command System (ICS) knowledge and skills to work efficiently and effectively under what can be stressful circumstances. Students will participate in multiple drills and exercises throughout the 5 day course which culminates in a day long functional exercise. These exercises include a simulation of the mobilization, incident management, and demobilization phases of a rapidly accelerating food borne illness outbreak. Participating RRT states will be tasked with naming and sending an Incident Management Team (IMT) to the course. IMTs will consist of the 8 ICS positions of command and general staff. Members will be required to meet ICS 300 training requirements prior to the course. The MDA proposes utilizing the Food Related Emergency Exercise boxed set (FREE-B) and engage Rapid Response Team members, acting as subject matter experts, to work with the contractor to ensure curriculum and exercise design are correct and meaningful. As well, MDA will engage IFPTI to provide logistical support and venue for the Food Emergency Response I420 pilot course. The Food Emergency I 420 pilot project will build upon project objectives to meet the FDA's goals of rapid response and recovery of intentional food contamination of the Food Safety Modernization Act. Upon completion of the pilot project, the course will be made available to federal, state, local, territorial, tribal and private sector partners.</p>