Saturday, June 21st, 2008
Practice for Pandemic flu outbreak held
By Shelley Grieshop
Photo by Shelley Grieshop/The Daily Standard
Paramedics, firefighters and other officials from hospitals, health departments, emergency management agencies, fire departments and squads in Mercer, Auglaize, Allen, Putman and Van Wert counties clear a landing field at the Ohio State Lima and Rhodes State College campus in Lima as an emergency medical helicopter prepares to take off. The activity was part of a pandemic flu exercise held in Lima on Friday.
Mercer County Health Department Administrator Dale Palmer headed up the five-county exercise that began weeks ago. The scenario was a pandemic flu outbreak that began in Asia and made its way to our local area this week. Palmer, who until recently worked as a health official in Allen County, began preparation for the week-long program nearly two years ago. Local hospitals, health departments and other emergency departments also held on-site pandemic planning exercises at their facilities on Tuesday and Wednesday.
In a real pandemic flu outbreak, the campus in Lima would be used as a 25-bed temporary treatment site for patients - including those from Mercer and Auglaize counties - who need less than 24-hour care and who could not be admitted to their local hospitals/medical facilities for various reasons.
- Shelley Grieshop
Photo by Shelley Grieshop/The Daily Standard
Personnel with the New Bremen Life Squad wheel in a gurney transporting a mock pandemic flu victim.
