Ready for disaster?

The threat of pandemic flu, terror attacks and nature’s wrath forces local residents, officials to take a hard look at emergency preparedness in Frederick County

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Click here to enlarge this photo photo illustration by Tom Fedor⁄The Gazette Firefighter and hazardous materials technician Jay Schwab poses in a ‘‘Level C” protective suit at United Fire Company 31’s Westview station in Frederick.

Frederick County is a small piece of a world facing serious threats of terrorist attacks, pandemic influenza and natural disasters.

The Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and last summer’s Hurricane Katrina aftermath has pushed officials to prepare Frederick County’s 226,476 residents for the possibility of a natural or man-made disaster here. The county’s proximity to Washington, D.C., as well as its status as home to Fort Detrick and the Camp David presidential retreat, underlines emergency preparedness as a priority.

‘‘The world, at present, has a lot of threats and people are concerned and people are looking at the issues from a fresh eye,” said Jack Markey, director of the county’s Office of Emergency Management. ‘‘We recognize that citizens are more concerned than they have ever been.”

In January 2005, the county formed its first group devoted to homeland security and natural disaster preparedness. The Frederick County Emergency Preparedness Policy Group filled a requirement by the Maryland Emergency Management Agency that each county in the state establish a committee to prepare for a natural disaster or terrorist attack.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security also made it a requirement for states and counties to form such groups in order to receive federal funding for security.

The policy group includes an executive committee comprising of County Manager Doug Browning, Frederick County Sheriff James W. Hagy (R) and Markey.

Hagy serves as the unified incident coordinator in the event of a terrorist attack — an appointment made by Frederick County commissioners in 2004. Hagy would direct all law enforcement duties during a terrorist attack. He said the policy group was given 15 emergency scenarios they must prepare for, including a ‘‘dirty bomb,” biological attack, tornado or hurricane.

‘‘You have to build those plans around these scenarios,” he said. ‘‘The plan is pretty much the same for any catastrophe.”

Markey is responsible for making sure the various county agencies are prepared to work together in the event of an emergency.

The three-member executive committee oversees roughly 12 county departments and agencies that have studied and put in place plans for various disasters. Agencies include the Frederick County Health Department, transportation officials and representatives from local municipalities.

‘‘[Residents] should know that people in this county care enough about their safety,” Hagy said.

County prepares for pandemic flu

Immediate and on the minds of many is an outbreak of the Avian or bird flu — which has spread through parts of Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

The Frederick County Health Department is aware of the threat and has stepped up efforts to prepare the county.

A flu virus in birds, called H5N1, has become an extreme concern to health officials throughout the world. In Southeast Asia, for example, thousands of birds have been destroyed in hopes of preventing spread of the disease.

The virus could pass between farmers’ birds and wild birds, causing it to spread worldwide. The virus could also mutate and be able to pass from birds directly to humans. There have been several cases of this in Asia.

At this time, no birds in the United States have been destroyed due to flu fears.

County health department officials said they are not waiting around for the disease to cause havoc in the area.

‘‘We monitor a number of sources throughout the day,” said Barbara Rosvold, director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response. ‘‘We have international sources, the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and Maryland sources. The public health community has been monitoring this for a long time.”

Since United States farmers keep most farm birds contained as they are raised, the likelihood of a pandemic flu spreading in this country is fairly remote, said Margo Smith, health administrator.

Despite that, Smith said this country is due for at least one outbreak of a pandemic flu during this century. Three pandemics occurred in the 20th century — a 1918 outbreak killed about 40 million people worldwide, 500,000 in the United States.

‘‘We’re due,” Smith said. ‘‘Maybe not this one, but one we can look forward to at some time during this century.”

Should we worry?

‘‘[Individuals] should not be afraid [of a pandemic flu], they should be concerned and that concern should turn into preparedness,” Smith said.

For residents, education and preparedness is key.

‘‘Planning for a pandemic is everyone’s personal responsibility,” said Angela Blair, community health educator with the health department.

‘‘Keep nonperishable food and water on hand. Keep medicines on hand. Make care arrangements for those groups with special needs. Keep medical supplies for pets on hand.

‘‘We’re telling people to do this because in the event of a pandemic flu their normal routine will be disrupted ...Taking measures to prepare (now) will put you at ease. It’s important to understand that our resources will be stretched very thin if there was a pandemic.”

Markey said individuals should have a plan in place for themselves and not rely on only government to take care of them.

‘‘Every citizen is their own first responder,” he said. ‘‘During an emergency there is not enough government to go around.”

The federal government recommends keeping the following items on-hand in case of an emergency during which you’ll need to stay at home for an extended period:

Ready-to-eat food, such as canned meats, vegetables and juices; granola bars; peanut butter; crackers

Manual can opener

Bottled water

Medical supplies

Medicines: prescriptions, and those for fever, stomach ailments

Portable radio, with extra batteries

Garbage bags, tissues and toilet paper

Baby food and pet food (if applicable)

Vitamins

Soap or alcohol-based hand wash

Flashlight, with extra batteries

Source: pandemicflu.gov⁄plan

LEPC — The Local Emergency Planning Committee meets monthly to prepare for the accidental release of a hazardous substance. Walter F. Murray, director of the Frederick County Fire and Rescue Services Division, leads the committee. The group includes county officials, Frederick Memorial Hospital, Fort Detrick, Frederick County Health Department, representatives from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office and transportation officials. The U.S. government required each to state to form a Local Emergency Planning Committee after a chemical explosion in India in 1986. Maryland then passed an order onto local jurisdictions. The state provides funding.

Citizens Corps Council — Under the guidance of Jack Markey, director of the county’s Office of Emergency Management, the council promotes emergency preparedness to residents and supports educational and volunteer activities to make the county safer in the event of a natural or manmade disaster. Members include the county’s fire and rescue, sheriff’s office, health department, City of Frederick and the Frederick Police Department. www.frederickcitizenscorps.com

Volunteer and Medical Reserve Corps — A community-based group of volunteers and medical professionals that would provide medical care and other means of support during a large-scale disaster. Volunteer Frederick was given a federal grant in 2004 to form the group. A special response team will provide support to doctors and nurses during emergencies such as a tornado, flooding, hurricane, major snowstorm or terrorist attack. Jack Lynch, of Volunteer Frederick, serves as the emergency volunteer coordinator. www.volunteerfrederick.org⁄ emergency_vol_programs.html.