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MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH October 25, 2001 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by V. Anne Miles 3 October 25, 2000 cancer by providing breast and cervical cancer screenings, indication, referral, and follow-up to older, under-served, low-income women. The Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program has chronically been unable to reach the number of women specified by the state contract and for the third year in a row has experienced reductions in funds as a result. B. Bio-terrorism Response Plan - Rosemary Summers The Public Health Emergency Response Plan has been under development for two years. With recent events, the Epi Response Team has reviewed and finalized most of the bio-terrorism component of the health department's plan. Rosemary Summers presented historical sidelights and brief history of biological outbreaks, both natural occurrences and as used in warfare. The department has been in touch with area pharmacies to try to determine the current state of antibiotic supply in the county. Both state and national levels recommend that localities be able to go for 72 hours on their own response level and that has been our goal. The department has created a database reporting system that law enforcement and other responders are participating in that track all of the potential exposures whether or not they are real. EMS has done an excellent job obtaining additional equipment and training that all the agencies have needed to respond. The Health Department response team meets weekly to stay current with all advisories that have come across and have altered our plans accordingly. Regular communications and CDC updates to medical providers have been sent. This is working very well, and providers have called us with questions. The Health Department has requested and is receiving a "Fax Blast" capability. It is a computer software program that allows multiple faxes to go out at the same time. This will eliminate a tedious and time-consuming task of sending a fax to each individual provider. Most medical providers do not have emails. A "Myth" sheet will be posted on the Health Department website to help answer many of the questions from the public and looking at developing more public information tools. The Health Department conducted a briefing for both school systems and encouraged them to look at their emergency plan and how a bio-terrorist event and response would fit into their emergency plan. The Health Department, EMS, and the Sheriff's department did a joint presentation to the Board of County Commissioners at one of their meetings. We will continue to work with individual agencies and business to develop community tools and responses. Still to be developed, are an ongoing surveillance system, so that we can identify covert events early and developing secure computer communications that are not subject to disruption. Department staff will also be trained in utilizing personal protective equipment. Jonathan Klein asked how much a full response level costs. Nick Waters has estimated that it costs approximately $24,000 to respond to full-scale alert involving the regional HazMat Team.