For Immediate Release:
March 17, 2008
Contact:
Mary Kay Hager
573-751-6062
Jefferson City — Public health’s ability to distribute medications and medical supplies through the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) will be put to the test on March 18 as the state conducts a large-scale emergency response exercise in the St. Louis bi-state area.
“We are committed to emergency response preparation and this exercise demonstrates our dedication to readiness,” Gov. Matt Blunt said. “Missouri is ahead of the curve, and this exercise and others like it will ensure we remain as prepared as possible to help keep Missourians safe.”
“Missouri has been recognized as a national leader in emergency preparedness, and exercises such as this are part of our ongoing commitment to ensure Missouri is ready to respond to public health emergencies of all kinds,” said Jane Drummond, director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, in partnership with the State Emergency Management Agency; local public health agencies in Missouri and Illinois; multiple city, county, state and federal agencies; BJC Healthcare; Scott Air Force Base in Illinois and organizations active in emergency response are involved in this joint exercise to test Missouri’s readiness to respond to a public health emergency.
The exercise scenario will get underway early in the morning with health departments and hospitals being notified that preliminary test results reveal that there was an anthrax release. As the situation escalates, local officials request assistance from the state to support ongoing response efforts. In response, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ Department Situation Room and State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Jefferson City are activated to coordinate state assistance to local response activities. The Department of Health and Senior Services dispatches staff, volunteers and equipment to the St. Louis area to facilitate the distribution of medications and medical supplies received through the Strategic National Stockpile. Local health departments then test the effectiveness of their response plans to deliver medications to their community members through Point of Dispensing (POD) sites.
PODs are designed to rapidly distribute lifesaving medications, oral antibiotics and other medical supplies to large numbers of community members in the event of a bioterrorist attack, or large-scale disease outbreak or other public health emergency. In the case of such an actual emergency, the federal SNS program would deliver medicine and medical supplies to affected areas within 12 hours.
“We are working to identify areas where our response plans can be strengthened should we ever face a threat such as this that puts Missourians at risk,” added Drummond. “This exercise deals with an anthrax release that has symptoms similar to those associated with the influenza, which provides a good opportunity to test Missouri’s readiness to respond to a public health emergency.”
“This is the fifth year we have conducted a Strategic National Stockpile full-scale exercise,” said Drummond, “and each year we continue to test new components of our plans.” Key objectives being tested this year include: coordination between Missouri and Illinois to receive and distribute SNS materials and open dispensing sites simultaneously; operation of closed POD sites to prophylax first responders; notification and response time of SNS volunteers to prepare to receive and distribute SNS materials; and the activation of a Joint Information Center at the State Emergency Operation Center to share information and develop and distribute messages to the public.
“This training is an example of the work we are doing to ensure a rapid and coordinated response to any public health emergency through partnerships and teamwork needed to successfully help save lives and protect the public’s health during an emergency,” Drummond said.
Note to media:
In Jefferson City, media availability will be held from 11 a.m. to noon, March 18, in the State Emergency Management Agency Conference Room, 2302 Militia Drive, Jefferson City. Media representatives should call DHSS at 573-751-6062 prior to arrival so your name can be provided to the security tation in advance.
St. Louis area media inquiries can call the health departments by contacting Harold Bailey in St. Louis City at 314-612-5037; John Shelton in St. Louis County at 314-615-8922; Cameron Satterfield in St. Charles County at 636-949-7408; or Dennis Diehl in Jefferson County at 636-789-3372.