Politics & Government

County Testing: To Ensure Residents Get Needed Meds In Emergency Situations

The Strategic National Stockpile is a federally-managed program that provides medication and medical supplies to local jurisdictions in the event of a major public health emergency.

The Delaware County Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) plan was exercised last month to test the county’s ability to respond to a major health crisis that requires rapid dispensing of medication to the public in the county. 

Such a crisis could result from a variety of natural causes, such as a pandemic, or from man-made disasters such as industrial accidents or terrorist attacks.

The SNS exercises conducted this month tested the county’s ability to dispense life-saving medications to the county’s more than 550,000 residents within 48 hours in the event of a man-made or natural public health emergency.

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The county activated and operated one Open or “Public” Point of Dispensing (POD) and one closed POD/Push Site during the two-day exercise. In an actual emergency, the two sites could dispense emergency medications to a combined total of more than 60,000 residents of the county.

While operating two dispensing sites, the county simultaneously tested the delivery of essential supplies and more than 500,000 doses of medication to more than 30 additional pre-planned dispensing sites.

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The scenario for the exercise was based on the release of aerosolized anthrax impacting a significant portion of the county as well as other areas in Southeastern Pennsylvania. 

The full-scale exercise was preceded by many planning and pre-exercise activities including a POD exercise and key staff training in May, as well as table-top and communications exercises earlier this month. 

Delaware County is the only county in Pennsylvania to conduct such a large-scale exercise of its SNS plan.

County Council Chairman Jack Whelan said such exercises are necessary to determine the adequacy of the SNS plan and to change and improve it as conditions warrant.

“The citizens of Delaware County can be confident that we not only have an excellent plan, but also have the ability to execute it,” Whelan said. “We test the plan and review our findings regularly so it can be updated and improved in keeping with our commitment to emergency preparedness as a top priority for the safety and protection of our residents and communities.”

The full-scale exercise consisted of establishing an SNS Operations Center (SOC), a Local Logistical Node (LLN), which serves as the County warehouse and bulk distribution point, notification and simulated activation of all of the 16 Pre-Planned Public Points of Dispensing (PODs), as well as more than 35 community-based dispensing points known as “push sites.”

Push Sites are typically facilities such as institutions, hospitals, nursing homes, colleges and universities, senior citizen communities and similar locations which have “residential” populations that might have challenges getting to an Open/Public POD.

Whelan said that the POD that was set up and exercised in the Upper Darby area was done in partnership with the Upper Darby School District and Upper Darby Township.  

One “push site” in another area of the county was also set up and it conducted full-scale medication dispensing operations at a facility serving about 10,000 staff, family members and residents.

Whalen explained that the exact locations of the PODs and “push sites” as well as the locations of the SOC and LLN are not identified for operational security reasons.

In the event of an actual public health emergency, residents would be notified where to go, what to bring (regarding personal medical information) and what to expect at a POD. The County would provide specific public information and instructions via the emergency alert broadcasting system, Delco Alert, the county website, and through various news media outlets.

“All our partners in the SNS plan, which includes all the school districts, hospitals and volunteers from communities in the 49 municipalities in the county, are essential for the plan to work successfully,” Whelan said. “We are always seeking more volunteers to help with the SNS plan.”

Anyone interested in volunteering to support SNS activities can register through Delco Alert on the County website.

They can also register for the County Medical Reserve Corps via the county website or by contacting the Delaware County Department of Intercommunity Health Coordination at 610-891-5311, Whelan said.

The Strategic National Stockpile is a federally-managed program that provides medication and medical supplies to local jurisdictions in the event of a major public health emergency. Although SNS is federally-managed and it is strongly supported by Commonwealth agencies such as the PA Department of Health and the PA Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), the actual distribution and dispensing of medications, whether in pill form or injection, is carried out primarily under the direction of County Government and is executed mainly by county resources and volunteers in partnership with other local stakeholders.


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