In the event of bio-terrorism, Postal Workers will give you your federal medicine

[rambone]

I wonder what happens when we don't want to take our medicine.

6 cities to train mail carriers to dispense anti-terror drugs - USATODAY.com

WASHINGTON — The Postal Service is ready to deliver lifesaving drugs to about a quarter of the residents of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the only metropolitan area in the nation where letter carriers have been trained to dispense medication after a large-scale terrorist attack involving biological weapons.

Six years after the government began exploring the idea of using postal workers as rapid-response medicine dispensers and eight months after President Obama ordered government agencies to develop a plan to do so, efforts are underway in six cities to train workers to deliver the drugs needed to counter anthrax or other potentially deadly agents, the White House says.

The White House won't name the six cities, and Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Amy Kudwa says she can't talk about whether more cities are interested in the voluntary program.

Cities are not required to adopt the plan, and most have separate plans in place to set up distribution centers in schools, community health centers and other government buildings where people can go to pick up drugs in the event of an attack. The White House, however, says using the Postal Service is a cost-effective and efficient way to create a reliable system for drug distribution in a crisis because postal workers can get drugs to the elderly and others who can't get out easily or wait in long lines.

"We need the capability" to get lifesaving drugs to people in a hurry because in the case of an anthrax attack, in particular, "what we know is: hours matter," White House spokesman Nick Shapiro says.

He says "many cities have expressed interest" in the program, especially now that there is a successful model to follow in Minneapolis.

The nation's capital is among them. "We're still looking at it," says Dena Iverson of the District of Columbia Department of Health.

The projected cost to set up the program and train postal workers: $1 million per city, according to the White House.

In 2001, shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a series of small-scale anthrax attacks killed five people. Victims can be saved, however, if they begin taking antibiotics soon after they've been exposed.

"It doesn't make any difference if we make all these new antibiotics and vaccines if we don't have ways to get them to people," says Randall Larsen of the WMD Center, a think tank that focuses on bioterrorism.

The idea of having letter carriers deliver drugs to people in their homes has been discussed since 2004.

Since then:
•In 2006 and 2007, test runs were done in Seattle, Philadelphia and Boston.
•In 2008, the Bush administration issued an emergency order allowing the Food and Drug Administration to approve advance distribution of antibiotics to letter carriers who volunteer for the program and their families so that they would be protected from exposure to anything they encounter on their rounds.
•In December 2009, Obama issued an executive order to jump-start the process. It gave federal agencies 180 days to develop a Postal Service model that could be replicated around the country. It also required the government to meet a demand from the Postal Service: that workers delivering the drugs be accompanied by law enforcement officers to protect them from panicked and potentially violent crowds.
​

Now, "we're fine if they (terrorists) attack Minneapolis," says James Talent, former vice chairman of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission. The Postal Service has "proven they can do it."

With a model in place, the White House says it is working to expand the voluntary program to cities across the country.

Natalie Grant director of Boston's Office of Public Health Preparedness says the city is awaiting instruction from the federal government about how to proceed.

Minneapolis postal worker Chris Wittenburg of the National Association of Letter Carriers says setting up the program is complicated. First, letter carriers have to volunteer, undergo medical tests to make sure they can take the antibiotics, be fitted for masks (no facial hair allowed) and be trained. Routes have to be combined, and systems set up to suspend regular mail delivery in an instant, call postal workers in and send them out carrying boxes of drugs and fliers telling people what to do.

About 60% of the city's letter carriers volunteered for the program, which was given a trial run in May.

Workers there can now deliver drugs to 205,000 households, or 575,000 people, within eight hours. Officials plan to expand the program to reach all 735,000 households in the metro area.

The need to get drugs or other antidotes to people fast is a "unique situation," Wittenburg says, "and the Postal Service is really the only organization with the capability to pull it off."

 

[beararms1776]

What happens if the postman doesn't like you or they're orders are to not deliver to conservatives? UH OH.

 

[rambone]

What happens if the postman doesn't like you or they're orders are to not deliver to conservatives? UH OH.

LOL. We can call it mutual and he can go vaccinate the rest of the block.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

What happens if the postman doesn't like you or they're orders are to not deliver to conservatives? UH OH.

How would he know?

One of the biggest problems with any sort of epidemic is stopping the spread of the disease. The faster and more widely a vaccine can be delivered (assuming it is the proper vaccine) the better the chances to limit the scope of the problem.

I'm not sure what to think about this plan. It does have the virtue of being able (in theory) to rapidly disseminate vaccines during a period when such an action could help limit the spread of communicable disease. Offhand, I can think of at least three problems with this plan as opposed to somewhat more centralized distribution plans (e.g. clinics or fire department 1st responders), but it would probably work about as well - meaning distribution would not be universal for a variety of reasons.

 

[Bendrx]

I wouldn't trust drugs from the Fed. and don't know if I'd take them in the event of an attack. Rather a terrorist kill me than the mailman.

 

[djl02]

They must listen to Alex Jones,He talked about this same subject on his show about a year ago.

 

[E5RANGER375]

How would he know?

easy, when i worked in politics, we had access to all kinds of list. where do they come from??? the county clerk, the election board, etc. nothing is private once govt gets ahold of it. everyone will sell out to pat each others backs. seen it first hand. i seen list that detailed how much people donated for YEARS, how they voted in the primaries, phone numbers, addresses, etc. nothing is secret. they dont wanna waiste a single stamp mailing it to the wrong place if they can help it.

you dont think that when you get a knock on the door from a local politician its coincidence do you? NO WAY!! they get the printouts and find areas with the highest demographics bennefitting their agenda and then they knock. no polititcian wants to work harder than he or she has to.

heres the thing I think about, when i think of having to go get medicine post disaster from the feds. you see a sign that says: "NO WEAPONS!!! All citizens MUST turn in any weapons and conscent to search of person and dwelling before medicine will be issue. MANDATORY!! If you refuse you WILL be quarenteened"

but you dont see the signs until your past the check point and cant turn away. and if they make a set time you must be there then you have no warning to know it will happen.

how about that?????

 

[WWIIIDefender]

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-38.pdf

Executive Order 13527 of December 30, 2009​

Establishing Federal Capability for the Timely Provision of
Medical Countermeasures Following a Biological Attack​

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the
laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:​

Section 1.​

​

​

​

​

Policy. It is the policy of the United States to plan and prepare
for the timely provision of medical countermeasures to the American people
in the event of a biological attack in the United States through a rapid
Federal response in coordination with State, local, territorial, and tribal
governments.
This policy would seek to: (1) mitigate illness and prevent death; (2) sustain
critical infrastructure; and (3) complement and supplement State, local, territorial,
and tribal government medical countermeasure distribution capacity.​

Sec. 2.​

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​

​

​

United States Postal Service Delivery of Medical Countermeasures.​

(a) The U.S. Postal Service has the capacity for rapid residential delivery
of medical countermeasures for self administration across all communities
in the United States. The Federal Government shall pursue a national U.S.
Postal Service medical countermeasures dispensing model to respond to
a large-scale biological attack.
(b) The Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security,
in coordination with the U.S. Postal Service, within 180 days of the date
of this order, shall establish a national U.S. Postal Service medical countermeasures
dispensing model for U.S. cities to respond to a large-scale biological
attack, with anthrax as the primary threat consideration.
(c) In support of the national U.S. Postal Service model, the Secretaries
of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, and Defense, and the
Attorney General, in coordination with the U.S. Postal Service, and in consultation
with State and local public health, emergency management, and
law enforcement officials, within 180 days of the date of this order, shall
develop an accompanying plan for supplementing local law enforcement
personnel, as necessary and appropriate, with local Federal law enforcement,
as well as other appropriate personnel, to escort U.S. Postal workers delivering
medical countermeasures.​

Sec. 3.​

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​

​

Federal Rapid Response. (a) The Federal Government must develop
the capacity to anticipate and immediately supplement the capabilities of
affected jurisdictions to rapidly distribute medical countermeasures following
a biological attack. Implementation of a Federal strategy to rapidly dispense
medical countermeasures requires establishment of a Federal rapid response
capability.
(b) The Secretaries of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services,
in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, within 90 days of the date
of this order, shall develop a concept of operations and establish requirements
for a Federal rapid response to dispense medical countermeasures to an
affected population following a large-scale biological attack.​

Sec. 4.​

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​

​

​

Continuity of Operations. (a) The Federal Government must establish
mechanisms for the provision of medical countermeasures to personnel performing
mission-essential functions to ensure that mission-essential functions
of Federal agencies continue to be performed following a biological attack.​

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cprice-sewell on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with PRESDOCSF​

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Federal Register ​

/ Vol. 75, No. 3 / Wednesday, January 6, 2010 / Presidential Documents
(b) The Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security,
within 180 days of the date of this order, shall develop a plan for the
provision of medical countermeasures to ensure that mission-essential functions
of executive branch departments and agencies continue to be performed
following a large-scale biological attack.​

Sec. 5.​

​

​

​

​

General Provisions.​

(a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) authority granted by law to a department or agency, or the head
thereof; or
(ii) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and
subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit,
substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, by any party
against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers,
employees, or agents, or any other person.
THE WHITE HOUSE,​

December 30, 2009.​

[FR

 

[Blackhawk2001]

I wouldn't trust drugs from the Fed. and don't know if I'd take them in the event of an attack. Rather a terrorist kill me than the mailman.

No criticism intended here. Is your problem with this program the fact that it's a Federal Government program and you don't trust them? Is it a general dis-inclination to be vaccinated? Or is it that you don't trust your mailman to be able to give you an injection properly?

While there are problems in all of these areas, the key to getting on top of an epidemic is controlling or stopping the spread of the disease. Other technical and moral problems aside, the best way we know of to combat an epidemic is to innoculate as many people against it as rapidly as possible. Having your Postman innoculate you with a vaccine has several advantages, assuming vaccination is necessary and there is an effective vaccine: It allows vaccinations to proceed without having a lot of people out in public together (potentially spreading the contagion); there is sufficient manpower to cover a geographical area thoroughly in a relatively short time; and the vaccines can be disseminated via already-defined delivery schedules/routes. If fully implemented, it would meet many of the needs identified as being necessary to combat an epidemic or wmd bio attack.

 

[88GT]

No criticism intended here. Is your problem with this program the fact that it's a Federal Government program and you don't trust them? Is it a general dis-inclination to be vaccinated? Or is it that you don't trust your mailman to be able to give you an injection properly?

While there are problems in all of these areas, the key to getting on top of an epidemic is controlling or stopping the spread of the disease. Other technical and moral problems aside, the best way we know of to combat an epidemic is to innoculate as many people against it as rapidly as possible. Having your Postman innoculate you with a vaccine has several advantages, assuming vaccination is necessary and there is an effective vaccine: It allows vaccinations to proceed without having a lot of people out in public together (potentially spreading the contagion); there is sufficient manpower to cover a geographical area thoroughly in a relatively short time; and the vaccines can be disseminated via already-defined delivery schedules/routes. If fully implemented, it would meet many of the needs identified as being necessary to combat an epidemic or wmd bio attack.

I can only answer for myself: I'm gonna go with "all of the above" for $500, Alex.

While it sounds good in theory, the risk for abuse is ridiculous. If I seek out medical services and someone has pulled the wool over my eyes for his own benefit, that's on me (to some extent). But being told I'm subject to the administration of an unknown/unverifiable cocktail "for the greater good" with no say in the who, what, where, when, why, or how of that administration is not something I'm going to accept easily.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

I can only answer for myself: I'm gonna go with "all of the above" for $500, Alex.

While it sounds good in theory, the risk for abuse is ridiculous. If I seek out medical services and someone has pulled the wool over my eyes for his own benefit, that's on me (to some extent). But being told I'm subject to the administration of an unknown/unverifiable cocktail "for the greater good" with no say in the who, what, where, when, why, or how of that administration is not something I'm going to accept easily.

Granted, I only scanned the text, but it looks like the verbiage was "distribute to" not "administer to". My best advice to you, feeling as you do: buy yourself a house out in the wilderness and stay away from people. Then you won't have to worry about contracting a disease (and if you get it, you won't be infecting me or mine). If you live around a population center, or have any commerce with a population center, I'd advise you to figure out how you are going to protect yourself.

 

[lashicoN]

It's a lose/lose in my eyes. Our own government is probably planning to launch biological bombs at us (frame China of course so they don't have to pay off their debt). Those of us who refuse to take their "medicine" will die off from the massive disease the bomb caused. Those who take the government "medicine" will have their brain eaten to the point of feeling relaxed and zero stress.

The government gets to wipe out all of us who refuse to conform to America 2.0 while creating an entire population of taxed zombies who will follow orders with no hesitation.

Our government is more than capable of doing this. They set little American kids on fire with NO hesitation at Waco, Texas. They gassed and burned them to death.

 

[henktermaat]

Our mail carrier is a nice old guy. I'd take his handout, smile and tell him to have a good day. Then I'd trash it.

If he tried to touch me, I'd have to respectfully decline.

 

[RomanDad]

I'm not exactly sure what everybody is concerned about. This plan is nothing new. It was devised during the cuban missile crisis as a way to deliver potassium iodine to the survivors of a nuclear exchange with the soviets. Most of whom would perish within a few days without the KI.

It was dusted off in the wake of 911 and the anthrax attacks.

You're concerned that the government would secretly try to poison you via the U S postal service? Why would they? They have enough chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons to wipe out every man, woman and child in the U S with the push of a button. Without ever relying on you to taking anything.

Trust me. In the case of a NBC attack- take the medicine. At that point you've got nothing to lose.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

I can't speak to the motives of the current administration, but when I worked for the local Emergency Management Agency, in 2001 I spent two months investigating and coordinating the emergency response to the spate of Anthrax threats, hoaxes, and scares (over 138 in 8 weeks). Prior to that, I participated in a national conference on how to respond to a bio weapon or epidemic. None of the people I spoke to or worked with even whispered the thought that "meds" would be used to control the public; their concern was how to stockpile, distribute, and properly dispense appropriate medicines to protect and preserve the public in the event.

I know some of you are spring-loaded to the paranoid position, but there really are folks out there, both in the public and private sectors, who want you to be as safe from such things as possible. When people start dying by the hundreds in your area, you really want to be part of the solution instead of being part of the problem.

 

[lashicoN]

I'm not exactly sure what everybody is concerned about. This plan is nothing new. It was devised during the cuban missile crisis as a way to deliver potassium iodine to the survivors of a nuclear exchange with the soviets. Most of whom would perish within a few days without the KI.

It was dusted off in the wake of 911 and the anthrax attacks.

You're concerned that the government would secretly try to poison you via the U S postal service? Why would they? They have enough chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons to wipe out every man, woman and child in the U S with the push of a button. Without ever relying on you to take anything.

Trust me. In the case of a NBC attack- take the medicine. At that point you've got nothing to lose.

lol you're right, the government is just a bunch of nice people with good intentions.

 

[Lex Concord]

No criticism intended here. Is your problem with this program the fact that it's a Federal Government program and you don't trust them? Is it a general dis-inclination to be vaccinated? Or is it that you don't trust your mailman to be able to give you an injection properly?

While there are problems in all of these areas, the key to getting on top of an epidemic is controlling or stopping the spread of the disease. Other technical and moral problems aside, the best way we know of to combat an epidemic is to innoculate as many people against it as rapidly as possible. Having your Postman innoculate you with a vaccine has several advantages, assuming vaccination is necessary and there is an effective vaccine: It allows vaccinations to proceed without having a lot of people out in public together (potentially spreading the contagion); there is sufficient manpower to cover a geographical area thoroughly in a relatively short time; and the vaccines can be disseminated via already-defined delivery schedules/routes. If fully implemented, it would meet many of the needs identified as being necessary to combat an epidemic or wmd bio attack.

Didn't see anything about vaccinations here...they are talking about distributing antibiotics via the USPS. This would have limited use (e.g. Antrhax, but not small pox).

A vaccine for such an event would be highly unlikely, as vaccines take huge amounts of time to manufacture and, if a new virus, develop.

Regarding trust of the federal government?

I trust them to continue destruction of our currency, nationalization of our economy, and erosion of individual liberty all with the best of intentions at heart.

Beyond that, I don't trust them any further than I could throw the capitol dome.

 

[88GT]

Granted, I only scanned the text, but it looks like the verbiage was "distribute to" not "administer to". My best advice to you, feeling as you do: buy yourself a house out in the wilderness and stay away from people. Then you won't have to worry about contracting a disease (and if you get it, you won't be infecting me or mine). If you live around a population center, or have any commerce with a population center, I'd advise you to figure out how you are going to protect yourself.

You missed the entire point. This isn't about contracting a disease or accessing the vax/antidote. This is about the government controlling one more aspect of my life that it doesn't have the power or authority to control. And I will not knowingly or willingly abdicate anymore than I absolutely have to.

If the cost of my 'health' is being a slave to the government, I'd rather die. If the consequences of living free mean death, what have I lost?

Your sarcasm and veiled insult was really uncalled for, btw.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

lol you're right, the government is just a bunch of nice people with good intentions.

You're almost right, the government is made up of people a lot like your neighbors (I was going to say "a lot like you" but that wouldn't be right), most of whom mean you no harm.

I make no such claims for the political class.

 

[lashicoN]

You're almost right, the government is made up of people a lot like your neighbors (I was going to say "a lot like you" but that wouldn't be right), most of whom mean you no harm.

I make no such claims for the political class.

I live out in the country. I don't have many neighbors. Across the road is a bunch of white trash, possible meth heads. Next to me is a racist and the other side is an old lady who I know little about. I have a hard time believing any of them would work for the CIA or become a Senator.

Has the USPS man been giving you delusion pills for a while?

Our government is not made up of people "like you or me" or our neighbors. Unless you or your neighbors have been groomed from birth to take their Grandparents Senate seat/CEO position at their multi-billion dollar corporation.

You're right about one thing. The government cares for me and wishes to do me as much direct harm as my neighbors, and by that I mean they don't care about me at all. They, like most everyone else, care about themselves and simply wish to make as much money as possible, regardless of indirect harm to myself.

Apart from the political class, the government workers are made up (from my experience) of people who hate every aspect of their job and do as little work as possible. Customer service is always a treat when you call some ******* who works for the government. And it is customer service, because of all the money they steal from us.