Pasadena Public Health Department Conducts Emergency Bio-Terrorism Preparedness Drill

The Pasadena Public Health Department Thursday held an emergency bio-terrorism preparedness drill at Victory Park, to prepare itself in the event of a biological attack such as anthrax.

The drill, which was coordinated along with several other agencies and other Southern California cities, was not directly related to recent terror events in Europe and had been in the planning stages since 2014, officials said.

“We test our readiness every five years, as mandated by the state of California,” said Pasadena Public Information Officer William Boyer. Unlike other cities in LA County, Pasadena has its own public health department, to help coordinate the drill. Other Southern California cities coordinated their testing with LA County Health Department officials.

The actual test involved walking actors through a series of stations at Victory Park as health workers interviewed them, screened them for any aversions to medicines, and then distributed either doxycycline, or ciprofloxacin, depending on the scenarios presented. Anthrax normally takes two to three days to affect patients, giving residents time to seek out medical attention.

Public health officials hoped to distribute 2500 doses of medication in the first hour of the drill. Officials also coordinated their efforts and information with members of the Pasadena police and fire departments.

In an actual emergency, the city would make announcements through radio, television and social media, and would open at least ten such stations for delivering antidote medicines, with drugs delivered citywide by a fleet of trucks from an undisclosed location.