Published: May 07, 2008 09:10 pm            

Public health readiness model in the works

State Health Department, private firm to implement preparedness plan

TERRE HAUTE — By July, the Indiana State Department of Health expects to join, most likely with a private firm, to implement a new model for public health preparedness planning to respond to emergencies ranging from earthquakes and tornados to pandemic flu and nuclear attacks.

Dr. Judith A. Monroe, state health commissioner, on Wednesday addressed members of the regional Task Force 7 about the model whereby a company or not-for-profit agency would oversee planning, exercise and volunteer management activities in the state’s 10 Homeland Security Districts.

Once a firm is selected, the model is expected to be implemented by July 2009. The state has an $11 million federal grant, of which 10 to 15 percent would be used for the planning model, Monroe said.

“We do have some vendors that are in the process of responding to our (request for proposals),” Monroe said. “Whoever successfully gets the contract will hire a team to implement this model.”

The idea is a private entity can apply for grants or private funding to help continue training and preparedness, coupled with government support, Monroe said. In addition, the model would increase volunteers and their training for emergency response.

“A well-trained volunteer is worth their weight in gold, while a volunteer that just shows up is a liability,” Monroe said. She spoke to Task Force 7 in the Maryland Community Church on Indiana 46, east of Riley.

Task Force 7 Regional Response Team is comprised of Vigo, Vermillion, Clay, Sullivan, Parke, Putnam, Owen and Greene counties and their emergency responders.

“I think volunteers are very important in a catastrophic event. We are going to need the churches,” Monroe said. “As an example in a major disaster where we need to evacuate quickly, a church like [Maryland Community] may come into big play. They have restrooms, an area to put out sleeping bags and a roof over your head. We would call upon every church to have a plan on how they are going to help their communities. West Virginia has an interesting model in rural areas and assigned churches to contact people, which is consistent with the mission of a church.”

Monroe is a member of the Institute of Medicine’s Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Catastrophic Events and the Committee on Preparedness for Health Effects of Nuclear Attack. She served on two international public health delegations, one to Israel for preparedness training and one to Taiwan to exchange best practices for data driven public policy.

Complacency is one concern the state’s response districts face, Monroe said.

“We had 9/11, we had Katrina and we do have earthquakes and tornadoes. It’s not things don’t happen, yet somehow we continue to have a complacent society. What I saw in Israel, everyone is prepared, everyone has a stockpile, a gas mask and a sealed room. Here, we can’t get people to get a three-day food supply in case of a pandemic.

“The risk of a pandemic [influenza] is the same today as it was two years ago and we will have a pandemic at some point,” Monroe said. “Thinking about a nuclear blast, hopefully that will never happen, but our risk is not zero. I think that is one of the biggest challenges for preparedness is getting the communities to do what we need to do.”

Monroe said at the end of June a public workshop at the Institute of Medicine in Washington, D.C., will look at the six largest cities in the nation to see how prepared those cities are for a nuclear event.

A basement is important to survive a nuclear blast, with a three-day supply of food and water. After three days, radiation can seep into buildings, making it safer to leave the building and be outside.

“A nuclear event is really something you want to prevent and is something we hope we never, ever see that, but to me, knowledge is powerful and folks should know how to protect themselves and their family,” she said.

Howard Greninger can be reached at (812) 231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com.

        

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