Government Technology
Government Technology: State & Local Government News Articles

New Mexico Successfully Tests Ability to Receive Medical Supplies During Public Health Emergency



Print
Comment

Jun 22, 2007, News Report

The New Mexico Department of Health helped the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention test its ability to deliver medical supplies to the state during a public health emergency. Yesterday, the Department of Health successfully unloaded 50 tons of medical pharmaceuticals within about an hour of receiving them.

The full-day exercise involved the CDC delivering a package of medicine and medical supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile to one of New Mexico's established distribution sites within 12 hours of determining need. The Bureau of Health Emergency Management staff unloaded the 130 containers of supplies, enough to care for the entire population of New Mexico.

In a public health emergency, the Department would then distribute the medicine and medical supplies to about 150 distribution locations, where people would be directed to receive them.

"We are pleased the CDC chose New Mexico to test the national system for responding to states' needs during a public health emergency," said Health Secretary Dr. Alfredo Vigil. "This is part of our preparedness efforts to protect New Mexicans to the best of our ability during a public health emergency."

The Strategic National Stockpile contains large quantities of medicine and medical supplies to protect the public if there is a public health emergency, such as a terrorist attack or flu outbreak that is severe enough to drain local supplies. Once federal and state officials agree that New Mexico needs supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile, the medicines will be delivered to the state within 12 hours.

New Mexico, like all states, has a plan to receive and distribute these materials, such as antibiotics, antitoxins, life support medications and medical/surgical items, to local communities as quickly as possible. The Department of Health's Bureau of Health Emergency Management is in charge of that plan.

The CDC conducts a few full-scale exercises of the Strategic National Stockpile each year. The CDC reviewed the Department of Health's SNS plan and determined that New Mexico was capable of participating in today's exercise.

In addition to the Department's Health Emergency Management staff, the New Mexico State Police, New Mexico Board of Pharmacy, Office of Emergency Management and Indian Health Services were involved in the drill.

JB

If You Liked This Article, You May Also Like...


Latest Government Technology News


Industry Solutions for Government

Read real world deployments of technology in government from our sponsors.

View All Industry Solutions

Related Products and Services

Marketplace



This section
brought to you by:


Mobile Communications Survey Executive Summary

More than 200 responses were captured to help gauge the effectiveness and types of communications and situational awareness capabilities currently deployed for emergency response. View the Executive Summary Now!

Dispatch Operations and Interoperability

A New Era in Public Safety BlackBerry® smartphones running on Sprint networks deliver a wide range of applications that are transforming public safety operations.


Hurricane Preparedness Tips When a hurricane hits, are you prepared to keep in touch?


Case Study - Morris County, New Jersey The Morris County Communications Center upgraded to a new trunked radio system with the benefits of a cellular network, extending coverage beyond county lines


Case Study - Iredell County, North Carolina Spanning over 570 sq miles, it became imperative that the Iredell County Emergency Communications, Operations and Management extend it's communications systems to enhance reliability, security, and coverage.


Case Study - City of Anaheim, California The City of Anaheim saw an opportunity to leverage existing GST and partner with nearby cities to enhance safety operations through data interoperability.


Case Study - Charlottesville, Virginia Fire Department Taking advantage of a range of interoperability solution, the Charlottesville Fire Department has achieved a network that can serve as backup to their existing public safety network.


Sprint ERT Go-Kit with GST Optima Rapid, interoperable communications for emergencies, drills and field exercises.


Optimal Interoperability Until recently it was not possible to cost effectively connect commercial networks to LMR systems. Improvements in communications technology have resulted in greatly enhanced operational capability and have reduced the log-term cost of communications system ownership.


Multi-agency interoperability for Public Safety Establishing cross-agency, real-time situational awareness is critical to effective incident management as well as daily resource management.


Video


DHS Grant Links

DHS Grants and Assistance Programs Link to overview of available grants administered by The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)


Fact Sheet: Fiscal Year 2008 Preparedness Grants Major changes in funding and focus for 2008 DHS grant programs


Remarks on 2008 Homeland Security Grant Guidance DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff and FEMA Administrator David Paulison


$1.8 billion in DHS Homeland Security Grant Program Awards


Funding Public Safety Communications Whether you are a law enforcement agency, looking for funding to support an interoperable communications solution or a school, seeking to improve communications between building administrators, grants may provide the funding you need to implement a robust, scalable communication system.


Yes! I would like more information about Sprint's dispatch operations and interoperability solutions.