Pandemic. Epidemic. Infection. Disease Control. Contagion. Health Emergency.

Those are words no one likes to say out loud and few people want to think about. But somebody has to, and that’s why four units of local government are working together to make sure Kane County is prepared for those kinds of worst-case health scenarios.

There are a lot of headlines these days about the Zika virus. A little more than a year ago, the trending topic was ebola. Who knows what international, national or local health emergency might come next?

In answer to that rhetorical question, Kane County officials recently put together a drill designed to demonstrate the ability to distribute medicines during a public health emergency.

The Kane County Division of Transportation, the Kane County Sheriff’s Office, Kane County Office of Emergency Management and the Kane County Health Department met at the Sheriff’s Office training facility about a week ago and conducted a drill to establish a medicine Receiving and Distribution Site.

During the drill, teams followed the procedures that would be required to distribute large quantities of medicine to the public at Points of Dispensing throughout the county.

Kane County Sheriff Donald Kramer praised the working partnerships the departments have developed.

“I want to thank the Health Department and Division of Transportation for having a game plan,” Kramer said. “It would be horrible if we had an event where we would need to use this, but we do have a plan.”

Procedures that were tested included how the shipment from the Strategic National Stockpile would be received; how to best use the space available in terms of loading and unloading supplies; how to ensure the distribution of medical supplies was efficient; and determining what additional equipment, if any, were needed.

More good news for Kane Country residents is that last week’s drill wasn’t a standalone event. A full-scale public health emergency exercise is planned for this June that will involve local health departments from across the state of Illinois.

SOURCE: Kane County Health Department

About the Kane County Health Department

In active partnership with our community, the Kane County Health Department improves the quality of life and well-being of all residents by developing and implementing local policies, systems, and services that protect and promote health, and prevent disease, injury and disability. Visit the Health Department’s Facebook Page and sign up for the award-winning “Health Matters” newsletter.

About the Kane County Office of Emergency Management

The Kane County Office of Emergency Management  supports a regional all-hazard approach to disaster management and Homeland Security through the coordination of programs that promote community planning, increase public awareness, and develop effective mitigation, response and recovery strategie. For more information, visit the OEM web page and the Kane County Office of Emergency Management Facebook page.

About the Kane County Division of Transportation

KDOT’s mission is to  provide and maintain a safe and efficient transportation system while maintaining the county’s visions and values. Serving a population of more than 520,000, Kane County’s transportation infrastructure is constantly being enhanced to accommodate growth. Kane County Division of Transportation employees are responsible for the maintenance, planning, design and construction of more than 320 miles of roadway. KDOT also provides technical assistance to the 16 townships and coordinates with a number of different state, regional, and local agencies on transportation and land use issues. For more information, visit the Kane County Division of Transportation website and Facebook page.

About the Kane County Sheriff’s Office

It is the mission of the Kane County Sheriff’s Office to maintain peace in Kane County communities and protect the Constitutional rights of all citizens. Sheriff’s Office employees will accomplish this mission by providing effective and efficient services with moral and ethical integrity. All citizens can be expected to be treated with equal justice and compassion for their needs. For more information, visit the Kane County Sheriff’s Office website and KaneSheriff’s Facebook page.