We will be hosting a class on Points of Distribution (PODs) on June 6th, at 6:30 pm.  The training will be held at Guttenberg Town Hall, Emergency Management Room (1st Floor) at 6808 Park Avenue, Guttenberg, NJ 07093.  The class will be taught by Monique Davis from the Hudson County Health Commission.

The class emphasizes the importance of being prepared to take care of citizens in the aftermath of a disaster – specifically when it comes to the distribution of life-sustaining supplies to survivors.

Points of Distribution (PODs) are centralized locations where the public picks up life-sustaining commodities following a disaster or emergency and are designed to accommodate vehicle, pedestrian and mass transit traffic. Commodities can include, but are not limited to, food, bottled water, and limited amounts of ice, tarps and blankets.

Plans should include: well-trained local personnel and/or volunteers; pre-determined locations and layouts; preliminary agreements with contractors; estimates on the amount of supplies needed; and an estimated “burn rate” or amount of commodities needed per day.

This course in particular will focus especially on distribution of medication needed during a biological outbreak.  It will review the six Category A agents as identified by the CDC:  Anthrax, Botulism, Plague, Smallpox, Tularemia, and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers, and a description of Points of Distribution (POD) sites, which will be stood up to distribute preventative medication or administer vaccines to exposed people who are not yet symptomatic.

If you would like to register, please contact Kevin.Wu@GuttenbergCERT.org