Tip Sheets

Avian flu: Preparing for the crisis

Edited excerpts from a lengthy transcript from "The Next Big (Health) Crisis - And How to Cover It," a conference cosponsored by AHCJ at the Nieman Foundation.

In this session, speakers addressed tasks and topics that should be examined by reporters, who could use them to investigate how well their community planning is proceeding.

Speakers on this topic included:

• Betty Kirby, assistant professor, Department of Educational Administration and Community Leadership, Central Michigan University. She spoke about getting schools ready for a pandemic.
• John Thompson, deputy executive director, National Sheriffs Association. He spoke about enforcing quarantine, transporting the ill, grounding travelers. Training police to provide community disease control.
• Michael Loehr, preparedness section manager, public health, Seattle & King County in Washington. He spoke about preparing for the next public health catastrophe and convincing the public that community containment is a good thing.