SIERRA VISTA — Cochise County residents are invited to participate in an emergency preparedness exercise that will happen on Saturday.

Conducted by the County Health Department, the “Cochise Smiles” exercise will run from 9 a.m. until noon in the Buena High School parking lot.

The exercise is a simulation of the health department’s mass medication dispensing plan, in the event of a full-scale public health emergency.

“We’re going to be setting up a drive-through point at the high school, which is where we’ll be dispensing simulated packets of medications,” said Elizabeth Lueck, the exercise’s program manager. “We need the public’s participation to test the ‘point of dispensing’ component of this exercise.”

The public will be lining up along Charleston Road where participants will be asked questions regarding the number of people in their family, as well as the ages. Based on the family information, packets of simulated medication will be given to the participants.

Since February is Dental Health Month, the health department will be using oral hygiene products for the exercise instead of actual medications.

Since February is Dental Health Month, the health department will be using oral hygiene products for the exercise instead of actual medications. In addition, oral health literature will be distributed and a dentist will be on site to answer questions.

“The purpose of this exercise is to test the health department’s plan for mass dispensing in the event of a real, full-scale emergency,” Lueck said.

The exercise actually starts on Friday with the “receipt store and stage” portion of the County’s Strategic National Stockpile Plan.

That portion of the exercise will involve the warehouse at Walmart where participants at the warehouse will receive the simulated medications. They will then repackage portions for distribution to different community partners participating in the exercise.

The partners have been asked to give the health department’s emergency preparedness staff an estimate of the number of participants requiring medications, in the event of a disease outbreak.

During Saturday’s exercise at the high school, traffic control will be provided by the Sierra Vista Police Department. In addition, the exercise will include a number of health educators, emergency services providers, the Red Cross and security.

All those interested in participating in the exercise are asked to call the health department at 432-9431 for more details.

Who’s involved

Organizations that will be participating in the mass distribution exercise on Saturday include: the Arizona Department of Health Services; city of Sierra Vista Police, Fire and Public Relations departments; Life Care Center; Cochise County Sheriff’s Office; Cochise County Emergency Management; Cochise County Risk Management; Arizona Department of Public Safety; Sierra Vista school district; Sierra Vista Regional Health Center; Fort Huachuca; Walmart; Quiburi Good Samaritan; American Red Cross; Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services; Arizona Department of Corrections in Douglas; and other county health departments.