BATTLE MOUNTAIN - Battle Mountain's Community Health Nurse Office and the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) are heading up a Point of Dispense (POD) drill that will not only give out free flu shots, but help prepare the community in case of an emergency in which mass inoculations are needed, said Reita Newgard, administrative assistant at the Community Health Nurse Office, who will be serving as the operations sections chief for the event.
The event will run from 8 a.m. to noon in the same format as last year, with people not even having to get out of their cars. For those on foot, there will be a shuttle carrying people back and forth from the event to the civic center.
There are 1,000 vaccines available which include shots and nasal mist, said Newgard. There will be five shooters including Community Health Nurse Brenda Keller, who will also be serving as the medical director for the event. Shooters will be the people administering the vaccinations.
The goal of the event is to vaccinate as many people as possible administering one flu vaccine for each person per shooter per minute.
"Come out and get your flu vaccine to help stay well this winter," said Newgard.
She said the event is important in order to prepare for a community disaster.
"I just think that in the case of an emergency, even though we are a small community, we need to be ready and prepared," said Newgard. "You just never know what could happen."
The event is being held in conjunction with the Battle Mountain General Hospital Health Fair which will run from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. People can check in for their flu vaccines either at the American Red Cross booth at the health fair or at the POD drill.
The agencies that will be involved are the Northern Nevada Chapter of the American Red Cross, Battle Mountain General Hospital, the Lander County Sheriff's Office, mine rescue teams from Newmont, Barrick and Goldcorp - Marigold, Lander County Ambulance, the Battle Mountain Fire Department, the Lander County Sheriff's Office, the Lander County School District, Road and Bridge North, Etcheverry Food Town, Midway Market and the Colt.
The POD drill will use the National Incident Management System (NIMS), an emergency response system used locally, statewide and nationally. NIMS training is offered by FEMA.
Any organization that would like to take part in the drill, can call Newgard at (775) 635-2386.
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