[Archived] Volunteers Needed for Medical Preparedness Exercise

City Press Release


	City of Alexandria, Virginia Office of the City Manager Alexandria City Hall 301 King Street, Suite 3500 Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3211 www.alexandriava.gov Telephone: 703.838.4300 Fax : 703.838.6343

For Immediate Release
Nov. 4, 2004
PIO 266-04/bg

Volunteers Needed for Medical Preparedness Exercise

The Alexandria Health Department is seeking volunteers to serve as “mock patients” for a emergency preparedness exercise with an emphasis on health. The exercise is scheduled for Nov. 12. Volunteers will help the City practice its medical preparedness efforts and mass vaccination plan. Flu shots WILL NOT be administered. There are NO flu shots.

According to John Clizbe, Emergency Planner for the Health Department, “We hope to have at least 600 ‘patients’ in order to test our plan. We recognize that we are asking people to sacrifice a couple hours of their time, but hopefully the residents and businesses in the area won’t mind stepping up to the plate to make sure our City is ready should some type of public health crisis occur.”

For more information on how to become a volunteer, email or call Laura Pettus at 703.706.3940, ext. 284.

On the day of the exercise, volunteers should report to the First Baptist Church, 2932 King St., between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm. Participants will leave their cars and be transported by bus to the exercise site.

The City is also continuing its emergency preparedness campaign called Be Ready, Alexandria! The education effort includes distribution of emergency preparedness information to residents. Over the next several months and into 2005, information will be distributed door to door by volunteers to every home and business in Alexandria. Neighborhood groups, civic organizations, business groups and families who would like to volunteer to work on the Be Ready, Alexandria! campaign, or become a member of the Community Emergency Response Team, should call 703.838.5594 and leave a contact name and number.

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