By Jack Mariano

But, what is a P.O.D.?

You’re sitting in your favorite chair and watching your televisions and then it comes on…that annoying Emergency Broadcast Tone.

But this time, it is not a test.

The make-believe message states there have been several cases of Anthrax like illness reported to several local Southeastern PA hospitals. Health officials are concerned Anthrax is spreading throughout the region. You are directed to report to your local Point Of Distribution Center or P.O.D. to receive your inoculations.

What do you do? Where do you go?

You are unaware of the fact that for the past twenty-four hours, your neighbors have been preparing for your presence. It began yesterday with a notification by e-mail, or by phone text message that your local responders are to report to the P.O.D. as of eight o’clock that morning.

Some eighty to one hundred volunteers will mobilize and will assist the community with this situation. During the night, the Chester County Department Of Health has distributed a truckload of supplies to your local P.O.D.

So, what do you do? Where do you go?

If you live in the Octorara Area, you would report to the Octorara Intermediate School on Highland Road where you will be greeted by volunteers who will assist you with parking and gaining entrance to the location at the west entrance with the flashing green light.

Once inside the school building, many volunteers will assist you with information, you will line up to enter the cafeteria/gym area and will be assisted by others who will register you and then you would be directed to another area in the cafeteria/gym where you would receive the designated inoculation either oral, or by injection after which you will be directed back to your vehicle.

Forty thousand people in forty eight hours which has been the goal of this pandemic group since the group first met in March, 2007.

The volunteers will already be in place because after notification, they met as a group at a remote location and were bused to the school. This allows for more parking for the residents who need the vaccination.

For the elderly neighbors and friends and for those who are handicapped, wheel chairs are available along with counselors and first aid staffing.

This is all a pretty elaborate scheme and is directed by the Chester County Department Of Health and the Chester County Emergency Services Department.

There are about twelve such sites being planned for the county with the closest, besides Octorara, being Oxford and Avon Grove.

Locally, Hank Oleyniczak, Michele Brown, Pete Muldoon and Frank Miller manage the center and coordination of volunteer efforts.

On Saturday, February 4th, the second full drill was held under the auspices of the Chester County Department of Health and the event went flawlessly with about one hundred people attending.

The four-hour event, last held in November, 2009 began with a greeting and briefing by Commander Oleyniczak and a Chester County D.O.H. Representative. The assembled volunteers congregated into their respective action groups and departed to the Intermediate School.

Some of the volunteers were used as patients and midway through the drill the groups were switched so that everyone had the opportunity to see the entire system.

Chester County would stockpile a half million units of vaccines and will distribute these to each P.O.D. center for administration to the public.

The Octorara Area School District has been very generous in allowing the use of their facilities for such an important event and volunteers are still needed to fill some thirty designations yet to be filled.

Watch for more information on who to contact and for upcoming pandemic meetings.