Today’s meeting of the Seven Hills Rotary Club was a sobering lesson in “What If’s.”
Health officials and Emergency Management Director Scotty Hancock urged business and community leaders to formulate a disaster preparedness plan in case of a pandemic influenza outbreak.
Though not an imminent threat, the possibility of a worldwide pandemic influenza is being monitored by the World Health Organization and being prepared for such an outbreak could mean saving lives and avoiding economic disaster.
Jean Miller, program director at Redmond Hospitalist Services, joined Hancock and Pat Townley, county nurse manager, as they clarified the difference between seasonal flu, avian flu and pandemic influenza.
The Rotary members and guests were given guidelines and goals for establishing a plan of action for their businesses in the event of a pandemic influenza outbreak.
Hancock urged caution and a “better to be safe than sorry” attitude.
“The info we’re getting about a pandemic influenza outbreak (from the World Health Organization) isn’t if but when,” he said. “So although it doesn’t seem likely to happen very soon, a plan of action preparing community businesses is certainly a very smart thing to have.”
He also recalled instances in recent history when preparation could have prevented a bad situation becoming much worse.
“You can never be too prepared,” he said. “No one thought hurricane Katrina would have caused so much damage and destruction. No one thought two planes were going to hit the World Trade Center buildings. You never know what could happen. It’s just a smart idea to be prepared for the worst.”
