Dec. 19 Emergency Preparedness Drill at NEIDL

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On Thursday, Dec. 19, Boston University (BU) and the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) will conduct a tabletop emergency preparedness drill as part of the ongoing safety and training program for laboratory personnel and internal and external response officials.  This drill will simulate an earthquake, similar to the one that occurred in 1755 off Cape Ann, Massachusetts.

The participants in this exercise include: NEIDL operations staff and researchers as well as external responders such as, Boston Public Health Commission, Boston Police Department, Boston Fire Department and Boston Inspectional Services.

A tabletop drill tests a hypothetical situation, such as a natural or man-made disaster, and the group’s ability to respond, assess damage, and identify short- and long-term recovery issues. This exercise provides the opportunity to continuously improve response and training at the NEIDL and throughout the University.

While there may be emergency response vehicles at NEIDL during the drill, there will be no impact on traffic in the neighborhood.

Currently, BSL-2 research is being conducted in the NEIDL and BSL-3 research will be starting soon.  BSL-4 research is not being conducted at the NEIDL now and will not commence until the completion of several regulatory and judicial steps.

For more information on the NEIDL go to www.bu.edu/NEIDL

 

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