Volunteers sought for preparedness exercise

Southern Seven Health Department is planning to participate in a State of Illinois strategic national stockpile mass dispensing full scale exercise in June.  

As part of its ongoing emergency preparedness activities, the health department plans have a mock dispensing clinic from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on June 15.

The clinic is scheduled to take place in the gymnasium at Shawnee Community College near Ullin.

"Our primary objective is to be able to measure the number of people we can dispense medication to within a certain time period during a simulated emergency exercise," Southern Seven Health Department environmental health/emergency preparedness director Tracy Walker said in a news release.

The health department noted that the public is invited to participate in the event as “actors,” who will be going through the clinic to receive medication based upon a given scenario.

Area residents who may be interested in serving as volunteers to help with the  June 15 exercise can contact Walker at 618-634-2297, extension 110, for more information.

Funding for the exercise has been provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Public Health Emergency Preparedness Grant program through the Illinois Department of Public Health.