Health Department Recruits Volunteers For Emergency Preparedness Program

December 14, 2007

Little Rock -- Little Rock has been selected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to participate in a pilot emergency planning program called the Cities Readiness Initiative (CRI). This program is designed to increase central Arkansas’s capacity to deliver medicines and medical supplies to the public during a large-scale public health emergency. The initiative will focus on the area around Little Rock including seven central Arkansas counties: Faulkner, Grant, Lonoke, Perry, Pulaski, Saline and Garland.

According to Dr. William Mason, Director of the Emergency Response and Preparedness Branch, a mass-dispensing exercise takes planning, and cooperation between people who live and work in the area affected and numerous public and private agencies.

“In the event of a public health emergency, we may need to deliver medications to an affected location within 48 hours. In such an emergency, the public would be directed to a centralized Point of Dispensing (POD) location for medicines that will keep them from getting sick,” Mason said.

To accomplish this goal, the Dr. Mason’s preparedness branch wants to recruit a large volunteer corps.

“All emergencies are local and need management by local people,” said. “We will need volunteers from all walks of life to fill roles such as inventory control, supply packaging, data entry, medical support or just to be there for friends and neighbors. Volunteers at the local level are the key to success—they make the difference,” said Dr. Mason.

“Be a local hero, join the health department’s public health emergency response volunteer organization,” Mason added. “By volunteering to work with others at POD sites, you can help in a time of need.”

The Arkansas Department of Health is establishing a public health emergency response volunteer organization to prepare communities to respond should a major health crisis ever occur.

To volunteer, contact the local health unit in one of the seven participating counties or visit our website at http://www.healthyarkansas.com/esar/.

For more information about CRI, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: www.bt.cdc.gov/cri/qa.asp or the Arkansas Department of Health website: http://www.healthyarkansas.com/services/bioterrorism
/cities_initiatives.html.

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