The Michigan Department of Community Health, the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the Michigan State Police, the Ingham County Health Department, the Barry-Eaton District Health Department, the Mid-Michigan District Health Department, and many other local and federal partners are participating in the exercise.
"This exercise is so important to further refine our level of preparedness here in Michigan," said Granholm. "I am confident that in the unlikely event a terrorist response ever becomes necessary, these exercises will ensure that Michigan is prepared to keep our families safe."
The exercise involves the request and receipt of a portion of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), which ensures the availability and rapid deployment of life-saving pharmaceuticals, antidotes, medical supplies and equipment necessary to counter the effects of nerve agents, biological pathogens and chemical agents.The purpose of the SNS exercise is to test state and local ability to provide life-saving medicines and supplies to the public in the event of a large-scale community emergency.
During the SNS exercise, large numbers of simulated antibiotics, vaccines, antidotes and other medical supplies will be delivered to the state of Michigan. State and local partners will be testing their ability to receive, breakdown, distribute and dispense the contents of the SNS.
The exercise includes a mock bio-terrorism attack. Approximately 800 people will participate in the exercise. Many will act like victims; others will be workers in the emergency operation centers and at the dispensing sites. The exercise will be prompted by an influx of symptomatic patients at local medical facilities. The public exposed to the biological agent will be directed to go to a mass dispensing site to receive medicines, supplies and healthcare. Local health departments and community partners have been vital in the efforts to respond locally in the event of an emergency.
The SNS is built on the assumption that a natural disaster or a biological/chemical terrorism incident has the potential to rapidly strain, if not deplete, local or state medical supplies. During such an emergency, Michigan can request and receive SNS assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These supplies would arrive within 12 hours and enable a community to be self-sufficient during the 48 to 72 hours before additional federal assistance arrives.
Conducting emergency preparedness exercises is critical to Michigan's preparedness efforts and ensures that federal, state, and local level capacity is developed. State and local partners will assess the strengths and weaknesses of their response plans and capabilities.
