Postal delivery emergency preparedness exercise

On Saturday, November 11, 2006, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., federal, state and local agencies will be conducting a test exercise in several Seattle neighborhoods. There is no emergency and there is nothing you need to do.

Picture of cardboard box delivered to households.	What: United States postal letter carriers will be delivering a small, empty cardboard box with an informational flyer to some Seattle residences as part of an emergency preparedness exercise. The cardboard box represents emergency medications that public health could recommend after a biological attack. The empty box used in the exercise may be recycled.
	Why: If a bioterrorist attack were to occur in King County, large numbers of people might need medications quickly. In the event of such an emergency, one potential option to distribute emergency medications is to have postal mail carriers deliver medications right to the home. The purpose of this exercise is to evaluate the effectiveness of this option.

Where: All residences in the 98115 and 98125 ZIP codes in northeast Seattle will have the cardboard boxes delivered to their home on Saturday, November 11, 2006. Postal letter carriers will be delivering the boxes between approximately 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The exercise calls for 41 postal carrier/police officer teams to make deliveries at approximately 38,000 residences in the 98115 and 98125 zip codes. The boundaries for the test exercise are approximately NE 145th Street to the north, NE 60th Street to the south, Lake Washington to the east, and 1st Ave NE to the west.

Click here for map to neighborhoods

Who: Postal letter carriers will be accompanied by a Seattle Police officer, but the officer will not come to your door. Only the postal letter carrier will approach your residence, inserting the box and flyer in your mailbox or delivery slot. The sponsors of this exercise are the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the United States Postal Service. Additional participating agencies include Public Health – Seattle & King County, the City of Seattle, the Washington State Department of Health and the National Association of Letter Carriers.

Common questions and answers

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EXERCISE HAS ALREADY OCCURRED

1.	What should I do when the postal carrier puts the box in my mailbox?
	You do not need to do anything. You may recycle the cardboard box and the flyer or keep it if you wish.
2.	Will the police come to my door?
	No, the police officer accompanying the postal mail carrier will not come to your door. The officer will stay in the postal delivery truck or on the sidewalk.
3.	Why would a police officer need to participate in this drill?
	In an emergency, people may need to get medication as quickly as possible so they don’t become sick. Having a police officer follow the delivery route provides security for the postal carrier and the medication supply, allowing the deliveries to take place as safely and quickly as possible.
4.	Will every residence receive a cardboard box?
	Every residence with a mailbox or mail slot will receive a box and a flyer, unless the box is not able to fit in the mailbox or slot. For the purpose of evaluating the test exercise, the postal carrier will note those residences where delivery could not be made.
5.	Why is this test exercise happening now?
	As a part of overall increased emergency preparedness activities, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is working with local communities to enhance their ability to distribute emergency medicines being stockpiled throughout the country. This exercise with postal carriers is part of the federal government’s Cities Readiness Initiative, which is an effort to increase the capacity of major metropolitan centers to rapidly deliver medications to help prevent illness during large-scale biological emergencies. The stockpile of medicines is part of the federal Strategic National Stockpile.
6.	What are you seeking to learn from this test exercise?
	The participating agencies are using this test to learn how delivery of medications would work in an emergency. They will observe how medications are readied for delivery, how delivery teams are assembled, and how deliveries are carried out and coordinated. After the test exercise is completed, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the United States Postal Service will review the results to determine the next steps in this effort.
7.	Is the use of postal carriers the only way to deliver medication in a bioterrorism emergency?
	In some emergency situations, it may be important to distribute medicines quickly, and the use of postal carriers is being considered as an additional way to distribute emergency medication. Currently, Public Health - Seattle & King County is ready to provide emergency medications through other points of distribution within the community. People would be directed to these community locations to pick up medication for themselves and their families.
8.	If this were an actual emergency, how would you notify the public?
	In an emergency, you should pay attention to the local media for directions from local officials on how to get medication and keep yourself safe.
9.	Where can I learn more about the Cities Readiness Initiative and emergency preparedness?
	To learn more about the Cities Readiness Initiative visit: www.bt.cdc.gov/cri To read about the Strategic National Stockpile visit www.bt.cdc.gov/stockpile To find out more about bioterrorism and health preparedness visit: www.metrokc.gov/health/bioterrorism/links.htm Public Health – Seattle & King County was named an Advanced Practice Center to provide bioterrorism and emergency preparedness resources to health departments throughout the country. Learn more at www.metrokc.gov/health/apc