The city is seeking volunteers to help in efforts to ensure that pharmaceuticals and medical supplies can be delivered to the general public effectively and quickly in the event of large-scale natural disasters or a terrorist act. 

An informational session is planned for Monday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. at the Warwick Emergency Operations Center, 111 Veterans Memorial Drive (Fire headquarters in Apponaug Village).

“It’s very important that we have volunteers who are trained and prepared well in advance of any emergency situation,” Mayor Scott Avedisian said. “I encourage our residents and those in our business community to consider taking part in this very important program.” 

Natural disasters or terrorist acts may require rapid access to large quantities of supplies. A national inventory, called the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), has been created as a resource for all states. In Rhode Island, municipal governments would open points-of-dispensing (PODs) to dispense supplies to the general public.

Medicine in the SNS is free for everyone, and the SNS has stockpiled enough to protect people in several large cities simultaneously. Rhode Island works with federal and local planners to ensure that SNS medicines would be delivered to affected areas in the event of a public health emergency.

Volunteers will receive free training. Those who are interested are asked to send their name, address, phone number and e-mail to the city’s community wellness nurse, Pat Seltzer. The information can be mailed to: City of Warwick, Buttonwoods Community Center, 3027 West Shore Road, Warwick, Rhode Island 02886, Attn: Pat Seltzer, RN, or e-mailed to: Patricia.Seltzer@warwickri.com.

For additional information about training or the point-of-dispensing effort in general, call Pat Seltzer at 468-4103.