NP
Bioterrorism, the use of biologic agents or their derivatives for the purpose of terrorist acts, presents a new and dangerous challenge to public health agencies and to the communities they serve. Though efforts have been made within the purview of military, law-enforcement and other non-public health government agencies, little attention has been given to community level preparedness. In the event of a bioterrorist attack, local public health departments will be among the first front-line agencies that will respond to the crisis. The project's primary focus is to assess the current capacity of the community healthcare infrastructure to respond to a bioterrorist attack. This infrastructure will be compared to other community, state, and national health care strategies and provide recommendations for the community health departments regarding their role in the event of an act of bioterrorism. The project will analyze three Connecticut health departments, employing assessment protocols incorporating surveys, interviews, and on-sight evaluations to determine the preparedness of the district's health agencies should a bioterrorist attack occur. The assessment will include protocol adequacy, material stocks, and the level of personnel skills and knowledge regarding proper protocol execution and instrument usage. The implications of this project are to assist local public health departments in developing policies, protocols, and planning addressing bioterrorism preparedness and response. In addition to demonstrating the need for better coordination for bioterrorism prevention and response activities at the local, regional, and state level, the recommendations from this project may provide a model for other local health departments.
Learning Objectives: 1) To understand and appreciate the role of local public health agencies in preparing for, and responding to, a bioterrorist attack. 2) To gain a general understanding of the assessment protocols utilized in determining communiy level preparedness in the event of a bioterrorist attack. 3) To comprehend the current degree of community preparedness for a bioterrorist attack in three local Connecticut health departments. 4) To identify methods for improving current community emergency/bioterrorism response systems
Keywords: Bioterrorism, Local Public Health Agencies
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Connecticut (New London County):
-Uncas Health District
-Legdge Light Health District
-New London Health Department
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.