Southern California to conduct bio-terrorism drill This Week

An anthrax terror attack is the subject of this bio-drill, and the worry continues. The threat of bio-terror on Americans is possibly one of the worst events that could take place on US soil because hospitals around the country are not equipped to deal with such.

The likelihood of such happening on US soil, and committed by actual terrorists is, however, quite unlikely; otherwise it would have happened by now. What is more probable is an attack, or a false flag, done by the Western intelligence agencies, to test reaction times and a possible vaccination trial. Just the same as Ebola and Africa, it was weaponized and tested against a vaccine.

Eleven Southern California counties and 13 public health agencies will take part in the state’s largest bioterrorism drill starting Monday and continuing through the week, officials say.

The event, called the Southern California Regional Exercise for Anthrax Disaster Incidents, or SoCal READI, includes members of state and county public health agencies, hospitals, elements of law enforcement, hospitals and many volunteers in a practice response to a simulated large-scale aerosolized anthrax bioterrorism attack, said Susan Fanelli, assistant director of the California Department of Public Health.

The bacteria that causes anthrax would be one of the biological agents most likely used in a bioterror attack, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Inhaled anthrax is the most deadly form of the disease, with survival rates of only 10 to 15 percent, increasing to 55 percent with aggressive treatment, the agency’s website says.

SoCal READI has been in the planning stage for two years and builds on smaller drills conducted across the state in the years since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Fanelli said

Following the attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center, California received federal funds for emergency planning, and some of those resources were used for developing bioterrorism protection plans, Fanelli said.

Counties participating include San Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Imperial, Inyo, Mono, Ventura, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. The health departments from the cities of Long Beach and Pasadena are also participating,

Each county and health agency will determine its participation for the practice drills, Fanelli said.

The mock attack will occur on Monday over a vast Southern California area, officials said.

By Tuesday, hospitals and other organizations will “realize” that the region is in the early stage of a regional anthrax outbreak.

Much of the exercise is to practice large-scale distribution and dispensing of medications initially to first-responders and later to members of the public, officials said.

While in a real scenario antibiotics would be distributed, for the drill, candy or another placebo will be passed out. And, in a few locations, flu shots will be dispensed, officials said.

Los Angeles County Health officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Among those participating San Bernardino County departments are public health, fire hazmat, sheriff, Office of Emergency Services and Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency, which also includes Inyo amd Mono counties.