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Regional Officials Brace for Disaster Preparedness

(The Business Monthly) -- By George Berkheimer & Missy Zane

Looking ahead to summer and the up-coming hurricane season, public officials in Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Howard counties have launched a regional emergency preparedness campaign that encourages residents to prepare home disaster supply kits.

Called "Ready? Set? Good.," the campaign was developed by the Public Information Subcommittee of the Baltimore Urban Area Work Group.

At the same time, health officials in the Anne Arundel and Howard counties have finalized their master plans for responding to bird flu and similar influenza pandemics, and have also made specific information on individual and community safety available on their web sites.

Both actions have been taken to educate the public, but more importantly, officials have said, they hope the information prompts more residents to prepare for emergencies and thereby lessen each county's response burden.

Not Just the Birds
Earlier this month, Howard County Health Officer Penny Borenstein issued a letter to all county residents in response to a made-for-television movie about avian influenza (bird flu) broadcast by ABC-TV.

Noting that the movie contained elements of truth and fact, Borenstein encouraged the public to learn about county efforts to prepare for any pandemic outbreak and learn what individuals can do to protect themselves and their families.

She explained that influenza is spread through droplets in the air and that people become infected before they begin showing symptoms.  She favors universal vaccination, but added that, unfortunately, it might take six months after the onset of a pandemic to develop a vaccine.

"Scientists do not know if or when the current bird flu will mutate and be able to spread from person to person," Borenstein said.  "However, researchers do agree that a pandemic is likely to occur at some point in the future and that early preparations and planning will be the key to reducing the number of deaths caused by this event and the social and economic disruptions that are also likely to result."

Similar observations were offered by Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, during his keynote address at a Pandemic Flu Summit convened recently by Howard County Government, The Horizon Foundation and the Community Emergency Response Network.

Unlike a typical flu outbreak, a pandemic comes in waves and can last up to 14 months.  It's the length of time that contributes to a pandemic's impact.  As more and more people become ill, a pandemic can drain all of the community's resources, from providing health care to keeping businesses open and running (see sidebar).

It was noted during the event that the H5N1 (avian influenza) virus, which is a prime candidate for the next pandemic, is extremely lethal.  At the present time, it is not known whether H5N1 or a less dangerous virus would be the cause of a future influenza pandemic.

If there was a major influenza outbreak in Howard County, Borenstein said the health department would ask people to "self isolate" and quarantine at home.  "In a given community, the peak of the wave may only be a period of weeks, even though it goes on in the world for years.  We'd want people to be patient, to work with us."

What to Do
Lisa Heyward, spokesperson for the Howard County Health Department, said there are a lot of relatively simple steps individuals and businesses can take to hlep them weather natural emergencies.

"It's always good to have medical information readily available so you don't have to search for it in case of fire, flood or other emergencies that require people to evacuate quickly," she said.

"It pays to have adequate food, water and medications on hand if a disaster occurs that keeps people from leaving their homes," Heyward continued.  "People who use oxygen should have a spare backup tank.  When a disaster occurs, people should listen to the radio or television and follow our instructions and directions, because we want to get as much information out as soon as we can to inform and educate, and not create panic."

Elin Jones, spokesperson for the Anne Arundel County Department of Health, said each county's master plan is tailored to its own needs and can be used to respond to flu and similar respiratory outbreaks.

"We encourage businesses, health care providers, schools and child care centers to have their own plans and be prepared to implement them," Jones said.

Each of the counties is working closely with hospitals, school systems, and police, fire and rescue departments on preparedness.  "[The master plan] directs how the Department of Health will respond to a pandemic in an organized fashion," added Anne Arundel County Health Officer Frances Phillips.  "Department staff, with assistance from other agencies and organizations, will activate a wide range of surveillance, disease control and available preventions measures.  The plan will be updated as new information about flu viruses, medical resources and public health guidelines develop."

In Howard County, health officials' biggest concern is for people without transportation, those who use oxygen, the sick and the frail.  "Like we saw in Louisiana last year, some residents couldn't get out," Heyward said.  "People aren't going to be left to fend for themselves her, but they may have to wait until we can reach them.  The online guides and checklists can help people hold out until help arrives."

New Initiative
The "Ready? Set? Good." regional campaign features a combination of paid commercials and public service announcements, radio spots and print ads.  A Spanish version of the radio and television ad will be available as well.

According to Matt Diehl, spokesperson for the Anne Arundel County Executive, the goal of the campaign is to help residents be as prepared as possible for anything that may happen.  He added that the campaign has fostered more of a cooperative tie between the counties.

"If nothing else, they're working together in an informal sense and exchanging ideas," Diehl said, noting that some positive changes have already emerged from the collaboration.  "Here in Anne Arundel County, for example, we're starting to utilize the government cable channel for public service announcements more than we have in the past."

Hold the Fort
According to Cynthia Lipsitz, medical director of Howard County's Department of Health, the county is still trying to assess what individuals and businesses can do should a pandemic overwhelm medical workers and create a hospital bed shortage.

"We would prefer to have flu victims and those taking care of them remain at home to avoid further spread of the disease," Lipsitz said.  "But we still need to consider ways of helping the isolated."

Businesses should also realize that there could be interruptions in the supply chains as a result of a pandemic, Lipsitz said.  "In such an event, 30% of the workforce could be out due to illness," she continued.  In the worst case scenario, many of them would not return.  "Businesses need to consider that fact and ask themselves how they would continue operations."

As part of the "Ready? Set? Good." campaign, the region's emergency planners identified a home disaster kit as the most important element to be promoted, since most disaster scenarios involve sheltering in place, rather than evacuation.

"The kits should always include water, a flashlight and portable radio with extra batteries," said Anne Arundel County Executive Janet Owens.  "It is critical that residents prepare to shelter in place if the need should arise, and have at least the bare necessities in their homes" as the first 72 hours of the disaster are key.

More information on the regional campaign can be found at the www.readysetgood.org web site.  Heyward added that additional information on pandemic influenza is available at www.pandemicflu.org, and that specific information pertaining to Howard County can be found at www.hchealth.org.  Anne Arundel County residents can also find county-specific information at www.aahealth.org.