In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, the potential for terrorist use of a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear agents, or Explosive (CBRNE) devices as weapons prompted the State of New Hampshire to reorganize its resources to more effectively counter the threat. A Bioterrorism (BT) Preparedness Section was created within the NH Department of Safety, Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

The BT Section is responsible for the administration of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grants as a result of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Departments of Safety and Health & Human Services. That agreement was signed by the Governor and Commissioners of the two departments in September 2003.

The Bioterrorism Preparedness Section, following guidelines issued by the CDC and HRSA, works with local and state public health officials, public safety officials and other key stakeholders to prepare the state for a potential CBRNE terrorist attack. While the probability of such an attack is low, the potential for mass casualties is high. Planning and preparation for such an attack are the keys to protecting the citizens of New Hampshire.

In addition, much of the response effort that would be needed to counter a bioterrorism incident would be the same for naturally occurring outbreaks of infectious diseases. The work of this section helps to protect the people of New Hampshire even if a bioterrorism event never takes place here.

The section is composed of the following personnel:

• Bioterrorism Coordinator, responsible for overall administration of New Hampshire’s CDC, HRSA and supplemental Pandemic Influenza Planning Grants.
• Bioterrorism Preparedness Planner assists in the development of emergency preparedness response plans through collaborations with local, state, regional and federal entities to build an "all-hazards" approach to public health emergency response. Coordinates federally funded public health emergency preparedness initiatives to ensure integration of activities and compliance with grant requirements.
• Hospital Preparedness Coordinator plans, develops and coordinates the hospital bioterrorism preparedness program for HSEM. The program focuses on emergency preparedness response plans for New Hampshire’s acute care hospitals by emphasizing the public health response to bioterrorism, terrorism, and other disasters involving mass casualties that would require medical surge capacity, through collaboration with local, state, and regional agencies that would play a role in emergency response.
• SNS Coordinator refines the state plan enabling the twelve preparedness functions essential to the effective management and use of deployed Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) assets in a weapons of mass destruction terrorism event or natural disaster. Coordination of the SNS CHEMPACK Program focusing on the pre-positioning of sustainable repositories of nerve agent antidotes to effectively respond to acts of chemical terrorism or public health emergencies. Coordination of the SNS Cities Readiness Initiative Program focusing on a concentrated effort to accelerate the response capacity of population centers that are considered to be at highest risk for terrorism using a biological weapon for which medical countermeasures are authorized and appropriate. (More information on the SNS can be found at http://www.bt.cdc.gov/stockpile/).
• Disaster Behavioral Health Coordinator administers the statewide Disaster Behavioral Health Response Program through assessing needs, planning, training and managing for a coordinated effort to offer comprehensive and professional services to victims of, and workers responding to, disasters. Works with community mental health centers, behavioral health providers, emergency management professionals and other stakeholders.
• Volunteer Coordinator develops and implements plans, in coordination with civic or volunteer associations, groups and state agencies, to recruit volunteers for state and/or local public health needs and local planning teams (i.e. smallpox/meningitis clinics, reception centers).
• Response Clinic Coordinator develops and implements plans, in coordination with regional public health emergency planners, for all hazards mass care clinics statewide needed to respond to potential CBRNE-related threats that may require acute care, prophylaxis, vaccine, or antidote.

Technical Assistance from the BT Preparedness Section:

• Healthcare professionals may volunteer their services through ESAR-VHP
• Consultation on all-hazard public health emergency response plan development
• Integrating disaster behavioral health into local plans and training
• Coordination between hospital plans and regional/local plans
• Volunteer recruitment and training for responding to emergencies
• Mass dispensing and acute care clinic site planning and training
• Conduit for public health infrastructure building with locals
• Presentations to public safety officials on all hazard public health emergency planning, training and exercises