PORT HADLOCK — A biological agent is released during a motorcycle convention in Kitsap County.
Participants return home, unknowingly spreading a deadly airborne flu virus to the North Olympic Peninsula’s population.
Kitsap authorities report nine deaths and counting.
Jefferson County officials declare a state of emergency and activate a multi-agency emergency operating center in Port Hadlock to get the situation under control and prevent a disaster.
Public healthcare officials issue instructions against contracting the disease and urge residents to stay calm.
It’s only a drill
This is a loose scenario of the first countywide public health emergency exercise organized Wednesday by the Jefferson County Emergency Operation Center.
No deadly virus attacks came from any Peninsula bikers, but participants in the emergency bioterrorism drill tried to play their roles with a seriousness that could translate into the real thing.
In effect, the drill gave Jefferson County departments time to cooperatively rehearse for such a potential disaster.
About 25 officials and representatives from county and city law enforcement agencies, public health, fire and administrative services spent a full day of sharpening skills for an emergency response.
“Overall our department feels it was an extremely useful exercise,” said Daphne Kilburn, Jefferson County Emergency Management’s public information officer.
“It went fairly well. We saw some gaps in our communication process — a couple of minor discrepancies, like assigning specific telephones to an agency and using more written communication messages as opposed to verbal.”
