Hays County practices mass medication distribution

Emergency management officials, first responders and volunteers gathered in the parking lot at Dripping Springs Middle School to participate in a point of dispensing or POD exercise.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, “POD or points of dispensing, are community locations in which state and local agencies dispense medical countermeasures (MCMs) to the public during a public health emergency. MCMs such as vaccines, antiviral drugs, antibiotics, antitoxins, and chemical antidotes are used to effectively prevent, mitigate, or treat adverse health effects of an intentional, accidental, or naturally occurring public health emergency.” 

More than 75 people total were on hand to take part in the drill on Nov. 23, including personnel with Hays County CERT, North Hays County Fire Rescue, San Marcos Hays County EMS and more.

“The (Hays County) Office of Emergency Services wanted to ensure that Hays County was prepared for a situation where we needed to distribute medication for any type of bio-terrorist attack or anthrax, or corona virus,” said Rachel Henry, public information officer for the Hays County Office of Emergency Services.

The scenario for the exercise was an anthrax attack. “They come in, they receive their forms. They get their temperature taken, make sure they don’t have any symptoms,” Henry said, explaining how the volunteer patients worked the scenario. “If they do, they get directed back out and sent to the nearest hospital or to our EMS. It depends on the situation.”

Henry said more than 80 cars were processed through the POD as part of this scenario. That was in an hour's time frame with one lane. In a real life event, Henry said as many as 10 lanes could be established. “It took about 7 to 8 minutes for a car to go through,” she said. “Everyone did a wonderful job, exactly as if it were happening and that was the whole point. We just really want the community to know that Hays County is getting well prepared for them, to make sure that everyone can get the medicine they require effectively and efficiently.”