Leominster (Mass.) Seeking Help for (Public) Health Emergencies

Worcester Telegram & Gazette

By Matthew Bruun

July 11, 2006

The city’s health director has developed a plan for emergency dispensing sites for vaccines or antibiotics in the event of a public health emergency, but is looking for volunteers to help staff them.

Health Director Christopher J. Knuth said the four emergency dispensing sites would be activated if there was an infectious disease outbreak. All communities are required to develop such plans, he said, stressing he saw no imminent threat.

“I’m not nervous,” he said in an interview yesterday. “I just want to be prepared. That’s my job.”

Now, he said, he needs to develop volunteer staffs with medical training to work at the dispensing sites.

“We are seeking active or retired physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, anyone with behavioral health or crisis intervention training and anyone who works in a clinical operation,” Mr. Knuth said. “In addition to the medical volunteers we are also seeking people who speak other languages fluently, and people who can use sign language to act as interpreters.”

He said about 70 people would be needed at each site, including 30 medical personnel.

Mr. Knuth said information about the emergency dispensing sites would be released during a public health emergency, with notification coming through newspapers, radio stations and cable access television.

Once the plan is put into action, residents will be instructed to report to specific sites, based on the wards in which they live.