Public Information Office 210 S. McDonald Street Suite 626 McKinney, Texas 75069 www.collincountytx.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 5, 2005

Collin County and CCCCD to partner with the Texas Department of State Health Services and neighboring counties in emergency exercise

(Frisco, TX) – Collin County and the Collin County Community College District (CCCCD) will partner with neighboring counties, supporting agencies and the Texas Department of State Health Service for an emergency exercise on Tuesday, August 9th. The event will be held at the CCCCD Preston Ridge Campus and will include approximately 1,000 volunteers at the Frisco site, alone.

This exercise is designed to test and evaluate aspects of state, regional and local plans related to receiving, distributing and dispensing medicine from the Strategic National Stockpile. The exercise will involve public health, emergency management and other partners in an integrated and coordinated state, regional and local response to a simulated outbreak of a deadly infectious disease. This full-scale exercise is held in real time, with a training package of supplies, known as a push package, coming to Texas from the federal government. No actual medications will be used in the exercise. Counties involved in the exercise include: Collin, Dallas, Tarrant, Denton, Hopkins, Van Zandt and Hill.

Participating partners include the Governor’s Division of Emergency Management, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the Texas Forest Service and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Persons are reminded that this is only a drill.

###