Mock disasters help prepare Utah

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. this week witnessed first-hand the readiness level of state agencies for when, not if, an earthquake or pandemic flu will strike. He concluded that areas of both public and private sectors are ahead of the preparedness game.

"For me, as governor, it gave me a great sense of confidence that we are together, we are well-lubed, as they say, and ready to respond should this kind of need arise," Huntsman said Friday during a press conference at the Emergency Operations Center near the State Capitol.

The governor and other key officials took part Friday in mock disasters that simulated how certain state offices would respond. While encouraged by what he saw, Huntsman added that a more "air-tight" communication strategy will be needed to ensure a fast and effective exchange of information between responders and victims during a disaster.

State health department boss Dr. David Sundwall focused on the subject of a pandemic flu outbreak.

"Some people think this is off in the future, may never happen, but I can tell you with assurance as a physician and grounded in the science of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), this will happen," Sundwall said. "It will hit Utah sometime. It will cost loss of life. It will impact the economy."

To "soften the blow" of loss of life, Sundwall said people will need to take individual responsibility to prepare ahead of time for an outbreak and not rely solely on the state government's response when it hits.

State public safety commissioner Scott Duncan said there is a lot of work to do but the state is headed down the right path toward preparedness. "We are doing everything we can in state government to be ready for these things that unfortunately, at some point, will probably hit our state," Duncan said.

State epidemiologist Dr. Robert Rolfs also stressed individual preparedness. "Something that affects the whole community really needs the whole community to prepare," he said.

Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert wants people who have questions about how to prepare for a disaster to find tips on the Web site, www.bereadyutah.org.

"My plea is for everybody to start preparing," Herbert said. "It's only when we have the disaster that people really have an acute interest."

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E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com