Public Health Emergency Exercise
Summit County Public Health is participating in a three-day, statewide emergency exercise to practice our response to an outbreak of infectious disease, June 15-17, 2017.
In the event of a large-scale public health emergency, such as an anthrax release or pandemic influenza, the Colorado Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response, in collaboration with local public health agencies, would activate the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) Plans. This would include activating a number of Points of Dispensing (PODs) across the state to dispense life-saving medications to the public.
The June 2017 exercise will operate as a real event to test local public health’s ability to provide medications to the public.
In the event of a large-scale public health emergency, such as an anthrax release or pandemic influenza, the Colorado Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response, in collaboration with local public health agencies, would activate the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) Plans. This would include activating a number of Points of Dispensing (PODs) across the state to dispense life-saving medications to the public.
The June 2017 exercise will operate as a real event to test local public health’s ability to provide medications to the public.
Volunteer For the Exercise
We are recruiting volunteers to assist in this exercise from 9-11 a.m., Saturday, June 17, to act as members of the public who would be going through a drive-through POD if this were a real situation. We will ask volunteers to do the following:
- Queue up in a line at the Summit County Bus Barn (next to the County Commons in Frisco)
- Complete medical screening paperwork
- Talk to a medical screener
- Receive their medications
- Exit the POD site.
We ask that you do not have pets in the car with you as you drive through the POD. This is important for the safety of our public health workers, who will be handing you simulated medication while you are sitting in your vehicle.
Volunteers Needed June 17
- 9-11 a.m., Saturday, June 17
- Summit Stage Bus Barn, 222 County Shops Rd., Summit County Commons, Frisco
- Free pharmaceutical drop-off for over-the-counter and prescription medications
- No pets in vehicles, please.
What will volunteers gain from participating?
Volunteers will learn how a POD operates and will know what to expect if there is a true public health emergency in our community.
Free Medication Drop-Off
We will also offer free drug take-back services at the event. We encourage all participants to bring their expired or unused prescriptions and over-the-counter medications for safe disposal. Proper disposal of medications helps protect our water quality and reduces opportunities for misuse, abuse and addiction. Learn more about safe disposal of medications.
About the Exercise
Full-scale exercises create a safe place for public agencies to practice and integrate their plans within the state response system. They also help us test how effective our response to a health threat will be. This exercise will engage partners in responding to a hypothetical disease outbreak. Specifically, it will test the following objectives:
- Resource distribution and dispensing
- Information sharing
- Coordination among multiple emergency operations centers.