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Arizona business leaders discuss bird flu's threat
Ariz. business leaders discuss bird flu's threat
Rebekah Sanders
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 25, 2006 12:00 AM
Preparing for a pandemic in Arizona, such as the widely feared avian
flu, is not just the government's job. It's the business
community's, too.
That's why many of the state's top business leaders met Saturday
with Gov. Janet Napolitano to discuss potential scenarios and ways
for companies to prepare.
"An influenza pandemic represents the worst that Mother Nature has
to offer as far as infectious disease," state epidemiologist David
Engelthaler said.
"The magnitude of a pandemic is very great; the likelihood, we have
no idea. But we probably will have one sometime in our lifetime, if
history tells us anything."
Michael Leavitt, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, has estimated that up to 30 percent of the
population could become ill in a flu pandemic, meaning close to 1.8
million Arizonans.
Representatives from companies such as Southwest Gas, U.S. Airways,
Motorola and KTAR Radio planned ways to keep operating in case 40
percent or more of their employees could not show up to work, and
brainstormed what to do if an outbreak in another state threatened
to cross Arizona's borders.
Communicating information to the public also was an important topic.
"It's so important that the people who talk to the public (such as
newspapers and radio stations) have the right information," said
Jeanine L'Ecuyer, the governor's communications director.
"People have a knee-jerk reaction to pick up the phone during an
emergency. What if the phone system goes down? You don't want to
scare people to death, but you need to know what you're going to do."
Napolitano said the time is ripe to discuss the topic.
"You need to start doing this now, not when the pandemic occurs,"
she said. "But it didn't start here and it won't stop here. It's
part of a series of planning. It's continual."
She also stressed that plans for a pandemic can be applied to other
disasters.
Some businesses already are putting together strategies.
"We have been working on our own preparations for the last eight to
10 months and now we have a draft plan," said Bill Powell, risk
manager for Salt River Project. But, he added, Saturday's exercise
is "the groundwork for planning together."
Now, the governor is calling for a task force, made up of business
and government leaders, to get more in-depth and specific with the
emergency planning.
"It's overdue for us here in Arizona," Engelthaler said.
Napolitano plans to host another exercise with public health
officials on July 21.
Rebekah Sanders
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 25, 2006 12:00 AM
Preparing for a pandemic in Arizona, such as the widely feared avian
flu, is not just the government's job. It's the business
community's, too.
That's why many of the state's top business leaders met Saturday
with Gov. Janet Napolitano to discuss potential scenarios and ways
for companies to prepare.
"An influenza pandemic represents the worst that Mother Nature has
to offer as far as infectious disease," state epidemiologist David
Engelthaler said.
"The magnitude of a pandemic is very great; the likelihood, we have
no idea. But we probably will have one sometime in our lifetime, if
history tells us anything."
Michael Leavitt, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, has estimated that up to 30 percent of the
population could become ill in a flu pandemic, meaning close to 1.8
million Arizonans.
Representatives from companies such as Southwest Gas, U.S. Airways,
Motorola and KTAR Radio planned ways to keep operating in case 40
percent or more of their employees could not show up to work, and
brainstormed what to do if an outbreak in another state threatened
to cross Arizona's borders.
Communicating information to the public also was an important topic.
"It's so important that the people who talk to the public (such as
newspapers and radio stations) have the right information," said
Jeanine L'Ecuyer, the governor's communications director.
"People have a knee-jerk reaction to pick up the phone during an
emergency. What if the phone system goes down? You don't want to
scare people to death, but you need to know what you're going to do."
Napolitano said the time is ripe to discuss the topic.
"You need to start doing this now, not when the pandemic occurs,"
she said. "But it didn't start here and it won't stop here. It's
part of a series of planning. It's continual."
She also stressed that plans for a pandemic can be applied to other
disasters.
Some businesses already are putting together strategies.
"We have been working on our own preparations for the last eight to
10 months and now we have a draft plan," said Bill Powell, risk
manager for Salt River Project. But, he added, Saturday's exercise
is "the groundwork for planning together."
Now, the governor is calling for a task force, made up of business
and government leaders, to get more in-depth and specific with the
emergency planning.
"It's overdue for us here in Arizona," Engelthaler said.
Napolitano plans to host another exercise with public health
officials on July 21.
