Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081011/NEWS01/81011005
Hamilton Co. prepares for mass medical crisis
By Carrie Whitaker ? cwhitaker@enquirer.com ? October 11, 2008
A drill testing mass distribution of medicine to prepare for an emergency went smoothly today in Hamilton County, local health officials said.
Hamilton County Public Health staff met at their headquarters on William Howard Taft Road at 7:30 a.m., drove an armored car to a warehouse where the county keeps medical supplies and tested the transportation routes to locations in Forest Park, Glendale, Woodlawn, Wyoming, Evendale, Lockland and Reading, said Megan Hummel, a spokeswoman for the county office.
?It?s a good exercise to prove that our plans are solid,? Hummel said. ?In the event of an emergency ever happening, we are certainly prepared.?
Staff members were able to make the loop through Hamilton County in three hours, dropping off empty boxes that in an emergency would carry medical supplies, Hummel said.
This would be part of the procedure should a pandemic flu or bioterrorist attack occurred, Hummel said.
In an emergency, the medication or vaccine would be dispensed throughout Hamilton County, not only the locations tested, Hummel said.
?Everyone in Hamilton County will be taken care of,? Hummel said. ?We will have enough ? for everyone.?
The training is mandated by the federal government and all communities in the United States must have similar plans, Hummel said. More training is planned. For example, the office will set up a dispensing station and practice passing out medication.
In the event of a crisis, the public health department would open 35 PODs ? points of dispensing -- in Hamilton County and county residents would be notified of the emergency through the news media, the public health office?s Web site and community leaders, Hummel said.
Hamilton County Public Health has not disclosed the location of the warehouse for security reasons.
The training on Saturday included help from the Hamilton County SWAT team, police departments and U.S. Marshals
Hamilton Co. prepares for mass medical crisis
By Carrie Whitaker ? cwhitaker@enquirer.com ? October 11, 2008
A drill testing mass distribution of medicine to prepare for an emergency went smoothly today in Hamilton County, local health officials said.
Hamilton County Public Health staff met at their headquarters on William Howard Taft Road at 7:30 a.m., drove an armored car to a warehouse where the county keeps medical supplies and tested the transportation routes to locations in Forest Park, Glendale, Woodlawn, Wyoming, Evendale, Lockland and Reading, said Megan Hummel, a spokeswoman for the county office.
?It?s a good exercise to prove that our plans are solid,? Hummel said. ?In the event of an emergency ever happening, we are certainly prepared.?
Staff members were able to make the loop through Hamilton County in three hours, dropping off empty boxes that in an emergency would carry medical supplies, Hummel said.
This would be part of the procedure should a pandemic flu or bioterrorist attack occurred, Hummel said.
In an emergency, the medication or vaccine would be dispensed throughout Hamilton County, not only the locations tested, Hummel said.
?Everyone in Hamilton County will be taken care of,? Hummel said. ?We will have enough ? for everyone.?
The training is mandated by the federal government and all communities in the United States must have similar plans, Hummel said. More training is planned. For example, the office will set up a dispensing station and practice passing out medication.
In the event of a crisis, the public health department would open 35 PODs ? points of dispensing -- in Hamilton County and county residents would be notified of the emergency through the news media, the public health office?s Web site and community leaders, Hummel said.
Hamilton County Public Health has not disclosed the location of the warehouse for security reasons.
The training on Saturday included help from the Hamilton County SWAT team, police departments and U.S. Marshals