Write a commentUsing thousands of boxes of Girl Scout cookies to simulate the distribution of medical supplies, the Oswego County Health Department, assisted by the Oswego County Highway Department, will demonstrate a Strategic National Stockpile distribution exercise between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 12 at the Oswego County Highway Garage, State Route 104 East, Scriba.
The Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) is the national repository of antibiotics, vaccines, chemical antidotes, antitoxins and other critical medical equipment and supplies in the event of a national emergency involving bioterrorism or a natural pandemic. Federal authorities require state and local governments to be able to demonstrate their ability to request, receive, and dispense medications and other materials from the Strategic National Stockpile in the event of a large public health emergency. This exercise meets the criteria.
Oswego County Health Department staff will receive an inventory of supplies (approximately 26,500 boxes of Girl Scout cookies), unload and sort them, process them for shipment, and deliver them to local scout troops for distribution to their customers.
Observing the exercise will be representatives of some of Oswego County's largest employers who have agreed to partner with the Health Department to distribute medication to employees and their families in the event of an emergency. They include Cayuga Community College, Novelis, St. Luke's Health Services, and Oswego County Opportunities.
"This exercise will be similar to the one conducted in February 2013. We are testing our ability to receive large shipments of supplies, inventory and sort them, store them, and ship them to local agencies, as demonstrated in a Strategic National Stockpile drill," said Jiancheng Huang, Public Health Director for Oswego County. "These types of exercises give local health departments the opportunity to handle a large quantity of materials. In the event of a large scale public health emergency, these items could range from respirator masks, to antibiotics, medical supplies, or vaccines. For our purposes, the simulated drill will give us a chance to test our emergency plans and distribute assets – in this case Girl Scout cookies – in a controlled environment."
The health department staff will sort cookie orders for approximately 25 troops in the Oswego, Lycoming, Mexico, New Haven and Parish areas. Oswego area scout leaders will pick up their cookie shipments from the county highway garage. County highway staff will deliver remaining cookie shipments to outlying sites where local scout leaders will pick up their orders.
The county health department staff, assisted by members of the NYS and Onondaga County health departments, will observe and evaluate the exercise.
