Strategic National Stockpile (SNS)

How would I receive medication and/or vaccination quickly during an outbreak?

The Niagara County Department of Health has pre-identified Point of Dispensing (POD) sites throughout the County. Depending on the nature of the medical emergency, several PODs may be established over the course of several days.  Niagara County Public Health has agreements with many locations throughout the County to operate POD’s in the event of an emergency.

Some examples of an emergency event that would require POD operations are pandemic flu, smallpox outbreak, radiological exposures, large scale foodborne/waterborne outbreak or any large scale environmental exposure to disease event that exceeds the surge capacities of our hospitals, medical clinics, and related health systems.

Open POD - a pre-identified site that is open to the general public to quickly, efficiently and accurately receive either vaccination or medication. These sites are staffed by county employees as well as volunteers.

Closed POD - a pre-identified site that receives vaccination or medication from the local health department to provide to staff and/or clients. These sites are closed to the general public. Closed PODs utilize their own staff to support their operation with support from the local health department and volunteers.

If your agency is interested in becoming a closed POD site, please contact the Director of Public Health Planning and Emergency Preparedness at 716-439-7431 or tracy.fricanochalmers@niagaracounty.com

Should a POD be established, the public would be notified via several modalities to include press release and facebook. Open POD pre-registration is available, once a POD is established, at the following link: https://apps.health.ny.gov/doh2/applinks/cdmspr/counties

What is the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS)?

The federal Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) has large quantities of medicine and medical supplies to protect the American public if there is a public health emergency severe enough to cause local supplies to run out. Once federal and local authorities agree that the SNS is needed, medicines will be delivered to any state in the U.S. within 12 hours. Each state has plans to receive and distribute SNS medicine and medical supplies to local communities as quickly as possible.

Niagara County is prepared to receive, process and distribute medication, supplies and equipment to Points of Distribution (POD) sites and hospitals throughout the County. 

If Niagara County is impacted by a biological, chemical, radiological, nuclear, or explosive event, the County Emergency Manager along with the Public Health Director as well as the Emergency Preparedness Division Director will coordinate federal, state and local resources to provide Niagara County residents with the services they need during the emergency.

To ensure that our residents receive medication during such an emergency, we work closely with other county departments and partners to quickly receive medical supplies from the state and federal government. The materials will be processed at a County Staging Site (CSS) and distributed to pre-identified Point of Dispensing (POD) sites.