The Dallas County Public Health Department seeks volunteers for an emergency preparedness medication dispensing exercise to be held Friday, Sept. 6 from 2:30-4 p.m. at the Dallas County Human Services Campus at 25747 N Ave. in rural Adel.
Volunteers are needed both to staff the exercise and to go through the point of dispensing (POD) exercise. Staffing needs include:
- Two people for greeting and triage
- Four people for screening (must be able to follow a decision tree)
- Four people for dispensing
Volunteers filling these positions do not need to have any medical background. The Public Health Department staff will hold a quick training session with volunteers before the POD opens.
An additional 50+ people will be needed to walk through the POD to test the emergency preparedness system’s throughput. The event is family friendly, and the venue is wheelchair accessible.
Interested volunteers can sign up online for the POD exercise.
The ability to dispense medical countermeasures to affected populations quickly and efficiently is crucial following a catastrophic public health event. The Dallas County Health Department is diligently building the capacity to dispense antibiotics to all Dallas County residents. Traditional methods to achieve this timeframe include developing plans that encourage the public to go to common areas within their communities — schools, gyms, community centers and the like — often referred to as Points of Dispensing (PODs).
