What are all you other Firefighters and LEO's doing to prepare for a potential outbreak of the bird flue?  Both at the personal and department level?

Well the problem dealing with any type of bio. problem is the delay in figuring out what is going on. The main players in this deal (to me) are gonna be the Emergency Room type people along with Public Health. Maybe to a lesser extent, EMS. EMS may be able to help slow an outbreak by paying attention to concentration of calls or a sudden up swing in flu like symptoms.

As far as I have heard most of the "preparing" is just talk of containing an outbreak and providing symptomatic treatment.

Its the same old song and dance, try to keep away from those who have  it and be careful with the young and old, you know the drill.

This EMT is doing nothing, seeing nothing effective being done in local EMS systems, and is not worried at all.

Consider the following stat's on pandemic death tolls since 1900:

1918-1919: U.S 500,000, Worldwide 40,000,000+
1957-1958: U.S 70,000+, Worldwide 1-2,000,000
1968-1969: U.S 34,000+, Worldwide 700,000+

This next one, if it even comes to pass, will be the proverbial fart in a windstorm unless something really bizarre happens. Note also that the above are absolute numbers and not per capita. When considered in the latter sense the drop in death rates is really spectacular. Consider also that modern communications and public health organizations are substantially better positioned now than in '69 to nip things in the bud (witness all the various restrictions now on the care and movement of poultry and fowl). Today's medicine is far and away better able to offer supportive care even if there is no definitive treatment, further lowering potential death rates. Finally, this is nowhere more true than in the U.S.

The worldwide news media is a giant pain amplifier. I'd relax.

aa

"The worldwide news media is a giant pain amplifier. I'd relax"

+1,000

Quoted: What are all you other Firefighters and LEO's doing to prepare for a potential outbreak of the bird flue?  Both at the personal and department level?

The bird flue is how that sparrow got in through my chimney last year.

The bird flue is how that sparrow got in through my chimney last year.

Kneww that was coming

Im wondering more along the lines of what is being done to protect te ems and leo personnel who will be incontact with this virus on a daily basis.

Quoted: The bird flue is how that sparrow got in through my chimney last year. Kneww that was coming Im wondering more along the lines of what is being done to protect te ems and leo personnel who will be incontact with this virus on a daily basis.

No one knows what mutation the virus will take if it even makes the jump from human to human. How can there be a plan of action on a disease that has no cure, no vaccine and as yet, doesn't exist in a contagious form for human to human transfer?

There are a lot more threats out there to worry about for fire fighters, ems and police that exist at this moment.

be more worried about the hep, or TB

By the time you know you have the "bird flu", as opposed to "normal" influenza, there's not really shit you can do, as there is no cure for the flu.  Either you get better or you don't.  Doesn't really matter if you are LEO or FF or just Joe Citizen.

Quoted: Im wondering more along the lines of what is being done to protect te ems and leo personnel who will be incontact with this virus on a daily basis.

Do what you normally do against regular flu. Or, if you're like most of us, what you should be doing

You know, like wash your hands and gear, wear gloves and mask, etc. It's not the Andromeda Strain, it's just the flu, albeit one that's particularly "strong", but transmitted like other flu just the same.

Daily basis? Probably not if the "pandemic"numbers continue to follow the current trend.

aa

The U.S. Government is spending $8 Billion on the Avian Flu and responders still cannot talk to each other during a major incident.  The Avian Flu is just the new thing.  Back in 2002 there was an outbreak of Avian Flu in Virgina.  How many heard about that then?  Not many cause it wasn't a big deal.  Still isn't.


As far as protection just do as aa777888-2 said above and you will be fine.

Quoted: The U.S. Government is spending $8 Billion on the Avian Flu and responders still cannot talk to each other during a major incident.  The Avian Flu is just the new thing.  Back in 2002 there was an outbreak of Avian Flu in Virgina.  How many heard about that then?  Not many cause it wasn't a big deal.  Still isn't. As far as protection just do as aa777888-2 said above and you will be fine.

Is that just not amazing
I deployed to La., just across the lake from N.O. and when we got there our nextels worked, you could not make a phone call for shit and the local system was down. You would think that by know we would have a way to talk to one another.


All advice about the "flu" from above is good.
I would like to hear more about the Virgina out brake though!!

The reason your nextels work is because that is what all of FEMA is issued.  Those are the first temporary towers that go up anywhere after a disaster.  Driving down into Plaquemines Parish there was a temp tower about every 5 miles next to the road.  

We deployed a couple of team member to Virgina to help with the outbreak.  All they did was help the VMAT (Vetinary Medical Assistance Team) kill chickens.

Personally I'm not worrying about it very much, from a virological/microbiological standpoint the chances are slim that it is going to get to that pandemic level. Especially with it being watched as closely as it is. I'm expecting a repeat of SARS at worst. Big media windstorm that in no way represents the reality of the situation.