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Jessica Lee said that the issue of bio-terrorism and disaster preparedness is a <br />major issue within the County. She said that the board members and staff are <br />doing all they can with limited resources. A core group of medical professionals <br />is ready but the resources are still limited. Plans for smallpox are in place but <br />they are still waiting for funds. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis asked what would be done if there was a smallpox <br />outbreak in Orange County. Rosie Summers said that they have a skeleton plan <br />in place to vaccinate all residents within five days. The CDC says that this is a <br />reasonable amount of time considering the incubation period. There is not <br />enough staff to do this though and they are trying to pull in outside resources. <br />There are four vaccination sites and four alternate sites. The next step is to bring <br />law enforcement into the next phase of the plan. The Hospital and UNC are part <br />of the plan. The Chancellor even offered Carmichael Auditorium for a <br />vaccination site. The actual plan is a protected document and this can be shared <br />in a closed session with the Board of County Commissioners and they hope to <br />have it in place by end of the summer. <br />Alan Rimer said that OWASA has been working on their vulnerability assessment <br />to determine the components of the system that are most vulnerable. He said <br />that on the Internet there is a design that shows how to put germs in the water <br />system through a household connection. OWASA is looking at putting in <br />backflaw prevention mechanisms. <br />Commissioner Brown asked how citizens could get information about what is <br />being done behind the scenes as they become more aware of issues. Rosie <br />Summers said that they can call the Health Department. She said that they are <br />developing the public information piece. The website is very active and there is a <br />page on smallpox and other hot topics. <br />Jonathan Klein said that there was a special hotline far rabies in the past and this <br />could be done in the event of a smallpox outbreak. <br />Rosie Summers said that the West Nile hotline is still up and running and they <br />update the message on the hotline regularly. <br />Alan Rimer said that in the next joint meeting {Assembly of Governments), that <br />the boards could consider how all communities could be proactive in public <br />education for health issues and OWASA issues. Rosie Summers said that she <br />would like to have a regular column in one of the newspapers and a regular radio <br />spot on WCHL for health issues where an expert in the community could come in <br />to answer questions from citizens. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis said that one of the things they learned at the terrorism <br />symposium is that the State is naive in its planning and is not concerned unless <br />