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Though the situation appears critical, an outbreak has not actually occurred and the medication being given out is in the form of Tootsie Rolls. The Sanilac County Health Department pretends that there has been an outbreak of influenza, in order to practice and improve their emergency skills in the case of a serious biological disaster.

Due to the 9/11attacks, the United States has developed a national strategy for pandemic influenza to help the country's preparedness and response to influenza or acts of bio-terrorism. States and local areas are currently working to test their own preparedness plan.

Last Thursday, the health department put on a mock pandemic at the Sanilac Career Center in Elk Township. Within two hours, 9 a.m. to 11a.m., the staff moved approximately 100 career center students through their testing plan called Mass Dispensing Full Scale Exercise, which focuses on the distribution of medicine and medical treatment during a communicable disease outbreak.

"We always need exercise to see where the holes are, not the faults, just were we need to improve," stated county emergency services coordinator, Todd Hillman.

"If we ever have a pandemic and have to treat the 46,000 people living in Sanilac Country, we need to test our plan and see how we need to change treatment, make things a little better... make things right," said Michelle McDonald, health department emergency preparedness registered nurse.

To test their plan, fifteen staff members from the heath department and emergency services converted a room at the career center to a treatment center. Students proceeded through four stations. "There's registration, health screening, dispensing -In this case we'd be giving out Tamiflu - then check out," said Lisa Bachman, health department emergency preparedness coordinator.

Students entering the area were handed cards asking if they were severely ill, had special needs, or a preexisting medical condition.

Next, students received forms to fill out concerning their medical history. They were then briefed on the anti-viral drug Tamiflu and sent to the dispensing center where health workers reviewed their medical forms and gave them a dose of Tamiflu, which in this situation was a bag of candy.

At the final check point, a health department employee reviewed medical forms and prescription.

"It was pretty busy, but you could tell that they did their best, said Deckerville junior Anna Alexander. "I like how nice they were and patient. The candy was the best part."

"I thought it was a good learning experience," said James Fortino, another Deckerville junior. "They took control of it well and kept everything in line."

In addition to the treatment station at the career center, officials from the sheriff department, emergency services office, fire department, and health department opened up an emergency operations center at the MSU Extension building in Sandusky.

"In this situation, they would call on us for services, supplies, security," stated health department director, Diana Schafer.

"It helps prepare the county on what to do in this kind of situation," stated Shannon Barry, a junior from Brown City.