The Public Health Regional Surveillance Team 7 was formed on May 1, 2002 and is composed of three members (a physician epidemiologist, a nurse disease investigator, and an industrial hygienist). Other staff from the Mecklenburg County Health Department (communicable disease nurses, environmental health specialists, office assistants and information services technical staff) assist and support the team. In the first year of their existence,  PHRST 7  has accomplished much in ensuring the 12 counties in their assigned region are prepared to respond to a terrorist attack.

PHRST 7 has been instrumental in bringing together diverse members of the emergency response community in the Mecklenburg County area. Key linkages have been established with regional health departments, veterinarians, emergency management, homeland security, area hospitals, fire, police, HazMat, laboratorians, volunteer organizations (e.g., Red Cross), libraries, county parks, schools, and businesses. 

Building Relationships within the Region

Regular meetings among these groups maintain a means of sharing information and developing processes to deal with health emergency situations. Knowledge of important points of contact within these organizations will be crucial to respond effectively in a crisis situation.

From August to the present,  PHRST 7 has been much involved with the distribution of potassium iodine (KI) in the five North Carolina counties surrounding the McGuire and Catawba Nuclear Power Plants. The team coordinated meetings, assisted in planning the distribution, and provided supplies, trained distribution site workers, participated in the distribution, and tallied results of the KI distribution to the general population within the 10-mile area around the plants.

Community Prophylaxis/Vaccination Programs

Almost 65,000 people in the five counties have received KI tablets. The team also participated in the planning and the logistics of the following distribution to employers and institutions within the 10-mile areas. They are currently involved with developing the State's plan to distribute KI to the general population and schools within these boundaries.

Like the KI distribution,  PHRST 7 played a key role in the North Carolina smallpox vaccination program in the 12 county region. The team was instrumental in the planning, coordinating, training, supplying, administering inoculations, and recording results of the program. The program began in February, and while inoculations have been completed, data management duties continue. Three hundred and fourteen volunteers were vaccinated with in the region, approximately 25% of those vaccinated in the State.

Training

Various projects have required the training of personnel to accomplish program objectives:

Prior to the distribution of KI, PHRST 7 provided instruction to managers and workers at KI distribution sites. Over 200 Mecklenburg County Health Department personnel were instructed on the distribution process and health and safety issues of taking KI to protect the public from radioactive iodine.

PHRST 7 also provided foodborne outbreak training to epidemiology teams (epidemiologists, laboratorians, environmental health specialists) of local health departments within the region. Sixty-four health department employees from the 12 health departments in the region received this training. Course attendees received Continuing Education credit for attending.

Further,  PHRST 7 coordinated and participated with Emergency Management in offering radiation decontamination training to health department employees in the region. Thirty-three health professionals attended the training. 

 

Disaster Response

The damage of the ice storm of December 2002 caused the Mecklenburg County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and shelters to be opened. Members of  PHRST 7 staffed the EOC during its operation as well as a special needs sheltered for those displaced as a result of the storm. This participation involved extensive hours while the EOC was in operation. Further,  PHRST 7 played a role in the Mecklenburg County's response to preventing carbon monoxide poisonings caused by portable heat sources during the power outage.

Members of  PHRST 7 have given presentations at several forums. These venues include lectures for students in nursing school at UNCC, a presentation for the Occupational Nursing Association, as well as the Western Piedmont Environmental Health Professionals meeting.  The team has also helped organized and several regional meetings for regional emergency responders as well as their managers. Presentations about  PHRST 7 were given at these meetings as well.

The smallpox vaccination program required the instruction of nurses employed at health departments and hospitals within the region on how to establish a vaccination clinic, inoculation technique, safe handling of the vaccine, and health-related issues associated with the vaccine

PHRST 7 assisted regional counties with the development of a grant proposal that requested money to fund anti-bioterrorism initiatives. The team coordinated meetings, facilitated discussion, and provided guidance in the writing of the proposal.

The team also provided consultation for several unique requests during the year. One requested information on how to protect pathologist from HIV during autopsies. Another was related to anthrax exposure from excavating soil in areas once used to bury dead animals. A contractor called to ask about Legionella risks in water pipes. Lastly, a major corporation asked for advice on the need for a KI policy as an effective response to dirty bombs.