by Tammy Taylor
Staff Writer
The Florida Department of Health, in conjunction with The Salvation Army and the American Red Cross, simulated a bio-terrorist incident involving pharmaceutical stockpiles Wednesday at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Jacksonville headquarters.
The simulation included emergency response workers along with volunteers playing “victims.”
“We are trying to do this yearly,” said Melinda Johnson-Cornett, director of health services for the Health Department. “We are pulling people together to know what position and roles we play to deal with the public as quickly as possible.”
Treatment during an emergency bio-terrorism situation follows a specific process.
First, victims give demographic information before moving to a second area where they explain symptoms. Those with dangerous symptoms are then sent to a quarantined area for treatment, while others are sent to receive check-ups, educational information and counseling.
The fairgrounds and the FDLE Jacksonville headquarters are the two designated local areas for bio-terrorism outbreak treatments. Additional locations are named at the time of the emergency, depending on outbreak size.