First responder test goes off as planned

Middlesex County’s program to distribute vital antibiotics termed a success

By Greg Forester, Staff Writer
   PLAINSBORO — A test of Middlesex County’s First Responder Distribution program went off without a hitch last week, with emergency personnel proving their ability to get vital antibiotics out to people on the front lines during any public health emergency, Plainsboro officials said.
   ”We sent two patrol officers in a marked vehicle to Piscataway, and we actually did a practice distribution to make sure the policy worked,” said Plainsboro Detective Richard Ferda. “It worked very well, exactly how it was planned.”
   During the drill, emergency personnel representatives reported to designated distribution centers to pick up antibiotics to deliver other responders and their families in an exercise designed to evaluate programs the county and municipalities have in place in case of a public health emergency.
   Distribution points included locations in New Brunswick and Piscataway during the exercise, which simulated how Middlesex County would provide emergency medications to over 20,000 people within the county.
   Middlesex County Freeholder Christopher D. Rafano called the exercise a success.
   ”I thought the drill went very well,” said Mr. Rafano. “Certainly testing our ability to help our first responders, who help our residents, is an extremely important thing to do.
   ”These live drills are really important, especially in the event of a real-life situation,” he added.
   While last week’s exercise involved empty medicine containers, during the real-life version the medicines would be released at the state level, which would then be distributed at the county level, according to David A. Papi, the director of the Middlesex County Board of Health.
   The drugs that would go out include the antibiotics ciprofloxacin and doxycycline, which are usually used to combat anthrax exposure.
   Detective Ferda said that first responders were instructed to distribute the drugs as each shift of employees came in over a 24-hour period, because the drugs are effective provided they are taken within 24 hours of exposure.
   Each agency receiving the drugs has received some training in the program, including meetings with county health officials and instructions on how to fill out forms that determine how much medicine is provided to each entity, according to Mr. Papi.
   The program would service 6,000 first responders in Middlesex County, along with their families, which brought the total number of people receiving the medicines to a number over 20,000, Mr. Papi said.
   The exercise also included first responders from Rutgers University’s New Brunswick campus.