TOOELE, Utah – More than more than 2,360 people were treated for a would-be virus at two branches of Heritage West CU during a bioterrorism drill Saturday.
The exercise was one of the first nationwide to see how quickly antiviral medication could be dispersed to the public in the event of a bioterrorism attack, flu pandemic or other emergency or disaster via drive-through windows at financial institutions.
The Tooele and Grantsville branches of the credit union participated in the drill, in which more than 800 vehicles passed through. Participants took already filled-out forms through the drive-through at the two branches and in return received a gold dollar, simulating the dispersal of medication.
This particular method of medication distribution can be beneficial as it decreases the amount of health department staff needed to get medication out quickly, in addition to decreasing the risk of spreading disease because the drive-through method doesn’t require direct interaction between those giving and those receiving the medication.
Representatives from various organizations — statewide and nationally — were in attendance to watch the drill and see how it worked. Representatives from 11 different agencies came together in the drill.
