Full Notification

Troy, MO – Lincoln County Health Department, in partnership with regional partner agencies, will be conducting “Star-Spangled Fright”, a bioterrorism response exercise. Events are planned for October 1st - 10th. Community members and other groups are invited to participate in the exercise on October 9th, 2019.

A Public Health Emergency Response Plan has been developed by local, state and federal entities in reaction to potential public health threats to area residents. Coordinated through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, under the administration of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, each local health department has created a plan specific to the needs of their jurisdiction.

Lincoln County Health Department is one of more than 25 organizations in both Missouri and Illinois playing a role in this regional exercise. This activity tests the ability to deliver medical resources in response to a public health emergency. Although these jurisdictional Emergency Response Plans have been in place for several years, the “Star-Spangled Fright” exercise marks the first time an extended operation (multiple days across multiple jurisdictions) will be tested in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area and is one of the first times this has been exercised by regionally cooperative health departments in the United States.

Many of the tasks completed during this exercise are similar to activities that local health departments complete on a daily basis to improve their communities. This includes disease surveillance, distribution of medication, disease prevention, education distribution and more.

One vital task in this exercise requires trained personnel to screen patients to determine medical needs and distribute proper dosages of medicine to prevent illness and possible death from the incident. During “Star-Spangled Fright”, a mock distribution will be completed from 10:30 - 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at Lincoln County Fairgrounds. Volunteer participants are needed to serve as mock patients seeking medication. Individuals can register through https://t.ly/RBKdv

As a thank you to those who register for the event, they will be entered a raffle to win one of 3 prizes: Bluetooth speaker, zero-gravity chair, or led lamps.