Missouri Kicks Off National
Preparedness Month with Bioterrorism Exercise
SPRINGFIELD, August 30, 2005—Missouri will kick
off National Preparedness Month with a Department of Health and Senior
Services (DHSS) tabletop exercise in bioterrorism on Thursday, Sept.
1 in Springfield. DHSS is coordinating the exercise with local public
health agencies, hospitals and law enforcement, as well as emergency
management officers, state health department staff and the F.B.I.
The exercise scenario begins with several reports of
intestinal illness from citizens, then it progresses to a regional
outbreak, with a terrorists taking claim for food contamination. During
the exercise, participants will discuss their plans for responding
to a large-scale communicable disease or bioterrorist event. The exercise
will test interagency and multi-jurisdictional collaboration in communications,
environmental and disease investigation work, public policy, and command
and control.
The media is invited to observe the exercise from 11
a.m. to 12 p.m. and speak with Missouri’s Homeland Security
(MHS) Director Michael Chapman, DHSS Center for Emergency Response
and Terrorism Director Bruce Clements, and Springfield-Greene County
Public Health Center Director Kevin Gipson.
The event also marks the first day of National Preparedness
Month, an awareness and citizen volunteering campaign to get families,
schools, government and states better prepared for emergencies—whether
natural disasters or domestic or international terrorist attacks.
State and local agencies will be participating in many National Preparedness
Month activities throughout September.
WHO: Michael Chapman, MHS; Bruce Clements, DHSS; Kevin
Gipson, Springfield-Greene County Public Health Center
WHAT: Tabletop Exercise on Bioterrorism
WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 1, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
WHERE: Springfield/Greene County Library Center, 4653 S. Campbell
Ave., Springfield,
Conference Rooms A & B