Bird Flu Drill in Lehigh Valley
Story posted on 2006-06-07 09:16:00
Emergency responders in the Lehigh Valley are getting ready for what's said to be the inevitable -- the arrival of bird flu.
More than 100 agencies gathered in Bethlehem yesterday to make sure they're ready.
Health officials expect the avian flu to reach the U-S in the next few years.
Emergency responders say drills like these help them find and fix weak spots in their contingency plans.
They say it also improves communication by clearly defining each agency's role during a pandemic.
CORDELIA MILLER:
509 "For example, Red Cross does preparedness and mass care so we would be the ones that would be concerned abut sheltering people in the event that we have a large you know, event such as a pandemic. How do we feed people, how do we make sure those who are at risk such as elderly get the things that they need."
Emergency responders say community education also plays a major role in preparedness.
Story posted on 2006-06-07 09:16:00
Emergency responders in the Lehigh Valley are getting ready for what's said to be the inevitable -- the arrival of bird flu.
More than 100 agencies gathered in Bethlehem yesterday to make sure they're ready.
Health officials expect the avian flu to reach the U-S in the next few years.
Emergency responders say drills like these help them find and fix weak spots in their contingency plans.
They say it also improves communication by clearly defining each agency's role during a pandemic.
CORDELIA MILLER:
509 "For example, Red Cross does preparedness and mass care so we would be the ones that would be concerned abut sheltering people in the event that we have a large you know, event such as a pandemic. How do we feed people, how do we make sure those who are at risk such as elderly get the things that they need."
Emergency responders say community education also plays a major role in preparedness.