Community encouraged to attend emergency preparedness meeting

An emergency preparedness meeting for all Lincoln County residents will be held Thursday, July 26, at 7 p.m. at The Lincoln Center.

Sponsored by the Lincoln County Department of Public Safety and Georgia's East Central Health District (ECHD-District IV), the purpose of the meeting is to provide local residents with information relative to a pandemic outbreak of the avian or bird flu as well as offer individuals the opportunity to volunteer to assist in such an emergency as a member of the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC).

During the meeting, Dr. Malcolm Page, an infectious disease specialist who helped eliminate smallpox in Pakistan and polio in Central America, will present information on the bird flu, which is caused by influenza viruses that occur naturally among wild birds.

The H5N1 variant of the disease is deadly to domestic fowl and can be transmitted from birds to humans. There is no human immunity, and no vaccine is presently available.

In addition to Dr. Page, other speakers include Gary Zgutowicz, emergency preparedness director for the ECHD; Ernie Doss, director of the Lincoln County Department of Public Safety; and Preston Harpe, Medical Reserve Corps coordinator for the ECHD.

In his comments, Harpe said, "There are no prerequisites for membership in the MRC other than a desire to help build safer communities. In essence, the MRC will provide a cadre of volunteers to assist local emergency medical services in responding to a major medical emergency or an act of bioterrorism."

If a major medical emergency such as the bird flu or a worldwide outbreak of virulent, human flu strikes Lincoln County, there will be a need for over 200 volunteers to staff the POD (Point of Distribution) for administering medications, Harpe continued. These volunteers will be organized and trained to function in a disaster environment.

Moreover, family members of the MRC will be among the first to receive the vaccine, if there is one available, in the event a contagious disease strikes Lincoln County. It is a possibility that there may not be enough vaccine to immunize the entire population.

According to Harpe, "This is an excellent opportunity for seniors, active and retired medical personnel, and others to get involved in making Lincoln County a safer place in which to live. We need citizens from all walks of life to support our medical volunteers."

Administered by the United States Surgeon General's office, the MRC was initiated by the United States Department of Homeland Security in 2002 in response to the World Trade Center disaster.

There are currently over 650 MRC units in the United States, with in excess of 125,000 volunteers.

For more information about the bird flu or to join the MRC, contact the Lincoln County Health Department at 706-359-3154.