Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Mosquito Control Incident Response Team: An Exercise in Using the National Incident Management System's Incident Command System for Disaster Response

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) uses a Mosquito Control Incident Response Team (MCIRT) to respond to natural disasters and mosquito borne-disease threats. Since 2001, this team has responded to 9 different events and is responsible for organizing treatment to more than 15 million acres in Florida using wide-area adulticide applications. The MCIRT implements the Incident Command Structure (ICS) to coordinate response efforts because it enables FDACS to quickly deploy staff to the devastated areas, conduct necessary mosquito surveillance, communicate with multiple agencies, and direct mosquito control measures. It also allows for easier transfer of leadership, cross-training of employees, and postevent evaluation.