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P.O. Box 42560
1111 Washington ST SE
Olympia, WA 98504-2560
Phone: (360) 902-1800

Rapid Response Program

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Rapid Response Program

For more information, email or give us a call at (360) 810-0387.
 

Program Overview


Mission: Improve the efficiency of food, feed, produce emergency response and reduce the time to a meaningful intervention that protects public health.

The Washington Rapid Response Team (WARRT) works to identify, control, and mitigate public health threats related to human and animal food.
 
Washington Rapid Response Program manages the coordination of multi-point missions that are collaborative with Federal, State, Local and Tribal partners. 

These efforts include:

Emergency response to State, Inter-state, and international food products: 

  • Contamination – unintentional and intentional

  • Foodborne Illness outbreaks

  • Outbreaks associated with distribution paths

  • Natural and Man-made disasters

Single and multi-jurisdictional product recalls


RRT_logo.jpg

Common Partner Organizations and Agencies

  • ​Food and Drug Administration (FDA Seattle Emergency Response)

  • WSDA Food Safety, Animal Feed, Produce Safety, and Laboratory

  • WA DOH Foodborne Illness and Epidemiology

  • Local Health Jurisdictions

  • USDA Food Safety and Investigation Services

  • Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)       

  • Emergency Management (Federal, State, Local)

  • Laboratories (Federal and state Public Health)

  • Law Enforcement (Federal, State, Local)


 

Foodborne Illness Outbreak Response


Learn more about Foodborne Illness Outbreak Response:

How FDA Investigates Foodborne Illness Outbreaks (YouTube)
 
FINS - Foodborne Illness Notification System | Washington State Department of Health (YouTube)

Don’t let unsafe food ruin anyone’s day!  Together we can keep Washington healthy and happy. Report food borne illness online today!
 
FINS is linked to local health authorities to allow statewide data collection and a faster way to find the source of food-based outbreaks.  

What is a Foodborne Illness and Why Should We Report It? (YouTube)

How to Report a Foodborne Illness in Washington State (YouTube) 


MISSION:
  • Identify and address food, feed, and produce safety issues within Washington
  • Provide food, feed, produce safety and defense education opportunities
  • Provide a forum to enhance communication and strengthen partnerships among regulatory agencies, industry, academia, and local government
WSDA Food Safety and Consumer Services Washington Food Protection Task Force | State Food Protection Task Force