Cities Readiness Initiative
The Cities Readiness Initiative is a federally funded effort to prepare major U.S. cities and metropolitan areas to effectively respond to a large scale bioterrorist event by dispensing antibiotics to their entire identified population within 48 hours of the decision to do so. CRI is needed to enhance preparedness at all levels of government and to provide a consistent nationwide approach to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a large-scale public health emergency.
Since 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided funding for CRI through the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreement to enhance the mass dispensing capabilities of the CRI cities. There are currently 13 CRI Counties in Florida including Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami Dade.
The Miami Dade County Health Department works with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida Department of Health, Regional Domestic Security Task Force, Miami Dade County Office of Emergency Management, county and municipal law enforcement and fire/rescue agencies, and other local response agencies and community partners to develop, maintain, train, and exercise response plans.
OUR ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES IS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WE HAVE FORMED WITH LOCAL RESPONSE AGENCIES AND COMMUNITY GROUPS.
Points of Dispensing
Points of Dispensing (PODs) are designated dispensing locations for persons who are currently healthy but may have been “exposed” and need prophylactic medication. PODs will be located in areas accessible by public transportation and will have plenty of parking.
Tips for your visit to a POD site
Each individual coming to a POD site can accept medications for up to 15 people, we encourage citizens to take care of friends of neighbors who are unable to travel to the POD site.
Medications will be provided to everyone in the affected area for free and personal identification will not be required.
While we will make every effort to make the process quick and comfortable, we expect that lines will be long. Therefore, children, persons who are ill, or persons who are unable to stand in line for an extended period of time should not attend.
We encourage you to bring a snack and water as refreshments will not be provided at the POD site.
Know how much your children weigh and any allergies to medications for the people you are getting the medication for.
DO NOT come to the POD if you are sick! POD sites will dispense medications or medical supplies to healthy people who have potentially been exposed to a harmful agent; Medical care will not be provided.
Strategic National Stockpile
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) has large quantities of medicine to protect the American public if there is a public health emergency (terrorist attack, flu outbreak, earthquake) severe enough to cause local supplies to run out. Once Federal and local authorities agree that the SNS is needed, medicines will be delivered to any state in the U.S. within 12 hours
The medicine in the SNS is FREE for everyone.
The SNS has stockpiled enough medicine to protect people in several large cities at the same time.
Federal, state and local planners are working together to ensure that the SNS medicines will be delivered to the affected area.
The locations of active PODs will be extensively reported by all local media outlets.
Your business, civic organization, or place of worship may have already partnered with public health and developed plans to provide medications to its members as well.
By partnering with the Miami Dade County Health Department Cities Readiness Initiative, your organization can join the response effort and be a driving force in protecting the health and well-being of all residents and visitors to Miami Dade!
Supporting Public PODs
Operating Points of Dispensing, or “PODS”, that will provide the community with potentially life saving medications will require an enormous amount of manpower.
You can help by becoming a volunteer yourself or encouraging members of your community organization to become involved.
Training and exercising opportunities will be provided throughout the year.
Volunteers are always welcome! Contact the Miami Dade Medical Reserve Corps, Citizen Emergency Response Teams (CERT), or your favorite community based volunteer organizations and ask how you can become involved.
Volunteer group representative? Contact the Miami Dade CRI coordinator and we can let you know how your organization can join the effort!
Establishing a “Closed” POD
To reduce traffic at Public PODs and make getting medications and supplies easier for everyone, organizations meeting the criteria can opt to establish a “Closed” POD that would provide medications and related supplies only to the population they identify as employees, residents, or members of their organization.
Closed POD partners would only be activated in the case of a wide spread public health emergency where a state of emergency was declared at the State or Federal level. Unless sufficient personnel at the Closed POD were licensed, trained, and credentialed only oral medications, such as antibiotics, or supplies, such as surgical masks or gloves, would be distributed in a Closed POD setting.
Some considerations for potential Closed POD partners are:
How many people will you serve?
How will supplies and medications be transported?
Where will medications be distributed?
Do you have sufficient personnel, including at least one medical professional, to distribute?
Closed POD partners can include private business, civic groups, faith based organizations, and government agencies.
Is a “Closed” POD right for your organization? The Miami Dade County Health Department Public Health Preparedness staff assigned to the Cities Readiness Initiative are available to answer questions and provide planning assistance.
