Emergency Response Coordinator Addresses Rotary Club -- Outlines Smallpox Vaccination Plan

City of West Haven Emergency Response Coordinator Richard Fontana Jr. recently addressed the Rotary Club of West Haven at its weekly luncheon meeting. His remarks focused on the City's progress in developing a plan to respond to a smallpox outbreak should one occur.

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WEST HAVEN, CT (PR WEB) -- On Wednesday, April 16, City of West Haven Emergency Response Coordinator Richard Fontana Jr. addressed the Rotary Club of West Haven at its weekly luncheon meeting. His remarks focused on the City's progress in developing a plan to respond to a smallpox outbreak should one occur.

A major thrust at this time is developing the capacity to inoculate West Haven's 56,000 residents within a ten-day period subsequent to a smallpox outbreak. Plans call for a vaccination clinic at West Haven High School. The clinic will be required to operate 8 to 16 hours a day, and will be staffed with as many as 117 medical and non-medical volunteers for each 8 hours of operation. Response team volunteer will need to be available on short notice in the event of an outbreak.

Although the city will need 12 healthcare professionals to administer the vaccination, the majority of volunteers need not have any medical credentials. For instance, people will be needed to serve refreshments, show informational videos, and do data entry. "West Haven residents always step up to the plate in times of crisis," commented Mr. Fontana, citing this summer's condo explosion as an example, "and I'm sure that we will find the volunteers we need to responsibly prepare ourselves."

The city expects to receive an initial shipment of 50,000 doses of smallpox vaccine in the near future so that the vaccine is on hand should an outbreak occur.

Mr. Fontana, a ten-year veteran of West Haven's Center Fire District, was recently appointed as the city's first Emergency Response Coordinator. The position is mandated by federal law.

About Rotary: Rotary International is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. In more than 160 countries worldwide, approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 30,000 Rotary clubs.