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Source: http://www.kcpw.org/article/6032
Emergency Preparedness Committee Holds First Meeting
May 23, 2008 by Elizabeth Ziegler
(KCPW News) Immediately following a natural disaster, terrorist attack or pandemic, difficult life and death decisions will be made by a newly appointed panel of health and public safety officials who will oversee the state's emergency resources. The first meeting of the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Advisory Committee convened Thursday at the State Capital.
"You know, if there's, God forbid, an earthquake like they've just had in China right here in Utah, there's never going to be enough in the way of health professionals or hospital facilities or medications to serve everybody," says Dr. David Sundwall, co-chairman of the committee and Director of the Utah Department of Health. "So we want help in determining what's the fairest way to allocate resources in a timely way to get them to the people who need them the most."
The committee includes representatives from law enforcement, the National Guard, various community groups, religious leaders, legislators, and medical experts. Sundwall says the committee will meet four times a year and convene immediately following a disaster to make ethical decisions about how best to distribute resources. During the first meeting, members received an overview of the state's emergency preparedness, challenges and appointed members to two advisory groups.
Emergency Preparedness Committee Holds First Meeting
May 23, 2008 by Elizabeth Ziegler
(KCPW News) Immediately following a natural disaster, terrorist attack or pandemic, difficult life and death decisions will be made by a newly appointed panel of health and public safety officials who will oversee the state's emergency resources. The first meeting of the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Advisory Committee convened Thursday at the State Capital.
"You know, if there's, God forbid, an earthquake like they've just had in China right here in Utah, there's never going to be enough in the way of health professionals or hospital facilities or medications to serve everybody," says Dr. David Sundwall, co-chairman of the committee and Director of the Utah Department of Health. "So we want help in determining what's the fairest way to allocate resources in a timely way to get them to the people who need them the most."
The committee includes representatives from law enforcement, the National Guard, various community groups, religious leaders, legislators, and medical experts. Sundwall says the committee will meet four times a year and convene immediately following a disaster to make ethical decisions about how best to distribute resources. During the first meeting, members received an overview of the state's emergency preparedness, challenges and appointed members to two advisory groups.