KENT KRIEGSHAUSER/The Register-MailLisa Welch, health service coordinator at Knox College, watches and listens during a group discussion by Knox County officials at Tuesday's pandemic influenza planning regional tabletop at Lake Storey Pavilion.
Officials assess flu preparedness
12 counties attend regional 'tabletop exercise' on pandemic
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Wednesday, August 16, 2006
GALESBURG - Representatives from 12 counties attended a Pandemic Influenza Planning Regional Tabletop Exercise at Lake Storey Pavilion on Tuesday.Counties included in the regional conference included Warren, Fulton, McDonough, Mercer, Henry, Stark, Peoria, Tazwell, Henderson, Rock Island, Marshall and Knox.
Knox County officials including people from the health department, law enforcement, hospital staff and elected officials were present.
"We as a community have already started dealing with our response plan," Greg Chance, Knox County public health administrator, said.
The conference was another step in the process of preparing for a pandemic.
"Whether it's a pandemic flu, tornado or a flood a lot of our responses are going to be the same," Chance said.
The purposes of the exercises were to assess counties' preparedness for an influenza pandemic in Illinois; clarify the roles and responsibilities of state and local governments as well as other partners like hospitals and law enforcement; review plans for coordination and communication between the key partners; and identify gaps and areas where further planning is needed.
To tackle these questions, county representatives addressed different scenarios involving a pandemic flu outbreak. These were based on a worst-case scenario, using figures from the 1918 flu pandemic in which 35 percent of the population was affected by disease in the first 12 weeks.
Knox County officials hoped to improve communication and develop plans to effectively handle a crisis situation.
"We need a working relationship with the partners where we don't have to worry about who has the big hammer," Galesburg fire chief John Cratty said.
Influenza causes 36,000 deaths and 200,000 hospitalizations each year in the United States, peaking between December and March.
Chance thinks that planning is crucial because a pandemic is inevitable. He wants to know that Knox County will be ready when it happens.
"It's not if but when," he said. "But hopefully it's after I retire."
