CARSON CITY - The federal Division of Strategic National Stockpile promises emergency requests from state governors for pharmaceuticals will be delivered in less than 12 hours.
Once the medications arrive, it is up to state preparedness professionals to get the meds to those who need them. Example situations include disease outbreaks, bioterrorism, chemical spills or other emergencies requiring medical supplies that could exhaust local and state assets.
The SNS has never failed to meet its 12-hour promise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of SNS assists states with their role in providing emergency public health support. About every two years, they deliver technical support and advice to state readiness partners by holding two-day hands-on trainings for requesting states.
Recently, a team of about 20 state public health professionals practiced warehouse skills needed to unload, inventory and then and ship out massive amounts of medications or other items that could be needed in the event of a public health emergency.
Proper response involves safely unloading, tracking and shipping out massive amounts of medications or medical supplies quickly and accurately. This kind of exercise is known as the receive, stage and store operations course, or RSS.
For more information about the SNS, visit www.cdc.gov/phpr/stockpile/stockpile.htm.[[In-content Ad]]
