County to conduct emergency exercises

To make the county more prepared in light of any terror attacks or other mass public health crises, Hays County will be conducting its annual Point of Dispensing site exercise from 8 a.m. to noon on Monday, Nov. 20 at Texas State University Bobcat Stadium, 1100 Aquarena Springs Drive, according to a press release.

In a public health emergency, which could be caused by an act of bioterrorism or a large-scale, naturally occurring disease outbreak, providing medical countermeasures requires a large, interconnected operational system.

POD sites are the last step in the overall MCM response system for getting people life saving medications such as antibiotics or antivirals, or to provide preventative vaccines.

In addition, the same type of distribution system may be used by Hays County to distribute other emergency response supplies to the public.

This exercise is designed to use multiple Hays County emergency response assets, as well as public and private healthcare professionals, local businesses and volunteers.

The scenario of this exercise is to simulate a bio-terrorist attack using drone delivered aerosol containing anthrax.

The Hays County Office of Emergency Services has responded and requested through Texas state agencies a Push Package from the Strategic National Stockpile containing the needed antiviral medications and immunizations.

The office has mobilized the network of volunteers and volunteer organizations to establish a POD site at Texas State University Bobcat Stadium, where residents will seek necessary medical countermeasures by the regional notification and local media outlets.

According to the Hays County Office of Emergency Services Director Mike Jones, the simulation on Nov. 20 is to prepare staff, volunteers and community partners for all types of emergencies.

“The exercise is designed to bring together our public and private partners to practice dispensing methods in the event we had to distribute medical countermeasures. We would use the same process for natural disasters such as floods or tornadoes where we would need to dispense water, blankets, food or supplies to the citizenry that have been affected,” Jones said.

“What this exercise does is cover both of those tenants in how we operate and how we provide needed resources to the community.”