Town Hall Meeting on Bird Flu

MEMORANDUM

 TO:                All Citizens

 FROM:           Margaret Evans, Sylvania Mayor

SUBJECT:       Town Hall Meeting on Bird Flu

                       November 14, 2006

 DATE:            November 7, 2006

The flu season is upon us and the threat of Avian Flu looms even larger.  The East Central Health District is currently working with Mayor Margaret Evans and the Screven County Health Department in educating Screven County communities about the threat of Avian Flu and how to prepare for it.

 Next Tuesday, November 14, 2006 at the Screven County Courthouse Court Room, there will be a Town Hall Meeting at 7:00 p.m. to discuss plans for meeting the threat of Avian Flu in Screven County.  Information will be given on how it will affect us, what to do in such an emergency and how we can prepare in advance for such an event.  The meeting is expected to last approximately one hour, depending on public interest during question and answer session.  The primary goal of the meeting is to educate the public and recruit volunteers to assist the medical community in Screven County to meet the challenge of a major medical emergency such as Avian Flu or bio-terrorist act.  The presenters will be Mr. Preston Harpe who is the Volunteer Coordinator of East Central Health District, Dr. Malcolm Paige, Infectious Disease Specialist who participated in the elimination of smallpox in Pakistan and Polio in Central America and Mr. Gary Zgutowicz, Emergency Preparedness Director for East Central Health District.

 As Mayor, it is my official duty to look after the health, welfare and safety of the citizens and I take that challenge very seriously.  It is a known fact that if we wait until the Avian Flu strikes, it will be too late to prepare.  If a medical emergency strikes Screven County there will be a need for over 300 volunteers to staff the Point of Distribution for medications.  WE MUST BE PREPARED.  THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT MEETING AND I URGE YOU TO COME AND BRING  VOLUNTEERS WITH YOU THAT CAN HELP FILL SPOTS IN ALL AREAS OF LIFE IF QUARANTINE IS NECESSARY.