N.H. First Responders Participate in Tularemia Outbreak Simulation

Aug. 14--SOMERSWORTH -- Naturals disasters cause property destruction and often loss of life and they can leave deadly disease-causing pathogens in their wake.

With the risk of such outbreak in mind, local emergency preparedness teams took part in a statewide drill to test response capabilities. The two-day drill was conducted Aug. 5-6 and was coordinated by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services to simulate a large-scale infectious disease outbreak.

First responders, towns, health care facilities and public health networks participated.

The exercise focused on emergency medical services' ability to identify, triage and decontaminate patients safely; the ability of hospitals to receive and decontaminate patients and to activate and receive chemical medical countermeasures; and the state's ability to expedite the movement of chemical medical countermeasures where they are needed to save lives.

The exercise was based on the scenario that "Hurricane Fiona" came ashore and resulted in a Tularemia outbreak. Tularemia is a disease transmitted through tick and deer fly bites, skin contact with infected animals and ingestion of contaminated water, such as might result after a natural disaster.

More than 100 National Guard troops took part in the operation statewide, including the Somersworth unit.

Lt. Col. Greg Heilshorn, public affairs officer for the N.H. National Guard, said their primary role was transportation. "We transported the national stockpiles to 13 sites across the state," Heilshorn said. "This primarily involved our logistical soldiers across the state including the Somersworth transportation company."

Heilshorn said they moved stockpiles by land and by helicopter to the North County locations. He said every year the Guard conducts some sort of domestic operational exercise and this is a chance to partner with local agencies.

"We get to rehearse and practice not only the physical on the ground machine, but also from a staffing point of view, we get make important contacts so if and when the real deal happens we're ready," he said. "There is no time for exchanging business cards when every second counts."

Heilshorn said their mission from a strategic point of view is to protect the citizens by saving lives, protecting property and keeping the peace.

According to Scott Schuler, deputy chief at American Ambulance in Somersworth, their role was to get the medical countermeasures into the hands of the public as quickly as possible. Schuler said the Guard delivered medication from the Strategic National Stockpile, which is medication the federal government keeps on hand for emergencies.

American Ambulance partnered with the Dover Fire Department, Wentworth-Douglass Hospital and Dover Middle School and other members of the Strafford County Regional Public Health Network, which is hosted by Goodwin Community Health.

Leading the local effort was public health emergency preparedness coordinator for Strafford County Mary Ellen Gourdeau, who is also an EMT at American Ambulance. Gourdeau said her roles as part of the public health network is to help prepare the community in the event of a mass public health emergency.

"In this case it was a mass prophylaxis to treat patients exposed to Tularemia," she said. "On Saturday, we received the medication from the state and opened the point of distribution pod."

The "pod" was set up at Dover Middle School with tents to protect medical personnel as they tended to two lanes of cars passing through to pick up the medication.

"We had about 50 vehicles come through in about 23 minutes," Gourdeau said. "So we know the model works. How well it would work in reality is an exercise of learning from what we did and correcting things that didn't go well."

The network's website ReadyStrafford.org has tips for preparing for disasters.

Gourdeau said they will review the event and report on what went well and what didn't and make plans to adjust.

At the state level, Rick Cricenti of the DHHS emergency services unit, said the exercise was planned for a year and involves the entire state. He said the local drive-through pod was unique to this drill.

"They were actually testing something different," Cricenti said. "They were getting out the box to run the drive-through pod to deliver and hand out meds. It is pretty quick and a good way to administer pills."

Cricenti said this is the second test of the Strategic National Stockpile and one live use was distribution of the H1N1 a flu vaccine. Cricenti said cooperation of local agencies is critical.

"We can't do it without our partners," he said. "We are all critical partners in getting this done."

Copyright 2016 - Portsmouth Herald, N.H.