LOCAL TRAINING OFFERS TIPS ON HOW TO RESPOND

The idea is to coordinate responses from law enforcement, fire, disaster management and public health into one big action plan, he said.

For example, Pilkington said that people need to recognize the signs of a biological or chemical attack. A bomb explodes with generally obvious results. However, the first symptoms of most biological or chemical attacks are flu-like aches and a runny nose.

If a serious flu epidemic suddenly broke out in southeastern Missouri in June, public health officials would suspect an outside factor was at work.

The Missouri Department of Health, the Center for Disease Control and local health departments already monitor infections and disease outbreaks. They routinely check in with hospitals and doctors.

“We do the surveillance,” said Sue Tippen, infectious disease coordinator for the Missouri Department of Health.

According to Charlotte Craig, director of the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center, a plan is essential for an organized response.

She said: “There are a lot of things to think about, like who do you give the vaccine to? Who gets it first? What about security if everyone wants the vaccine?”

The county’s Emergency Management Action Committee, called EMAC, organized the training along with emergency departments at Southeast Missouri Hospital and St. Francis Medical Center. EMAC worked to develop emergency plans for various scenarios.