Health official doubts Michigan's preparedness for bioterrorism

Lansing - If bioterrorism strikes Michigan, many of the state's county health departments won't be prepared, a county health official testified Tuesday.

Responders "are just not uniformly prepared" and lack the "resources needed to either plan for or handle these threats," said Robert Pestronk, the Genesee County Health Department director. Pestronk joined other county leaders in addressing a state House Health Policy Committee hearing on terrorism preparedness.

In the event of an emergency, health departments will be called upon to rapidly identify, investigate and control an outbreak, while coordinating treatment plans. In order to execute the responsibilities, departments would need about $25 million from the state, Pestronk said.

And with the state in the middle of a budget crisis, those dollars will be hard to come by, committee Chairman Rep. Stephen Ehardt said.

Even carrying hefty price tag, the Lexington Republican said, "I'm at a loss to find one that's any more important." The committee plans to take Tuesday's testimony into consideration in the upcoming budget.

In Ingham County, responders are trained for disease surveillance, water contamination testing and to assist environmental workers on the scene, said Dr. Dennis Jurczak, deputy medical director for the Ingham County Health Department.

But local health departments should not be relied upon to handle a biological disaster on their own, Jurczak said. "When you have a disaster, you have to work with other agencies," such as police and fire, he said. "The health department isn't geared up to do that kind of thing."

Because numerous chemicals are stored on campus, MSU police have emergency plans in the event of a biological disaster, MSU police Chief Jim Dunlap said. The plans have been in place for nearly a decade.

The university has an instant command center and holds regular training for the police department in collaboration with MSU's Office of Radiation, Chemical & Biological Safety, Dunlap said.

"We have a pretty elaborate plan in place," he said.

A high percentage of MSU police officers are trained as hazardous materials response officers. Hazmat officers are trained to handle materials safely, preserve them for evidence if necessary and set up an area for decontamination, Dunlap said.

MSU police is part of the Lansing-area Hazmat team, which includes police and fire departments in East Lansing, Lansing and Bath Township.

East Lansing fire Lt. Ken Lehto said he believes the area is adequately prepared.

"It'd be nice to have more resources," Lehto said. "But we're pretty up and ready."

Joey Guillen can be reached at guillenj@msu.edu.