Saturday mail drill simulates response to bioterror attack

In case of a bioterrorism attack, be on the lookout for a mail carrier bearing drugs.

That's one possible medication-delivery method that government officials will be testing Saturday at about 38,000 households in northeast Seattle neighborhoods, which will get little empty boxes in the mail with a flier explaining it's all just a drill.

After a real attack, the box would contain antibiotics to counteract anthrax, plague, tularemia or some other deadly bacteria that terrorists might spread.

"If there were a bioterrorist attack in Seattle, a large number of people would need medications quickly to keep them from becoming sick," said Dorothy Teeter, interim director of Public Health — Seattle & King County. "This is to test our capacity to deliver the medications."

After an actual attack, such deliveries by postal carriers would add to drug distribution by about 12 centers that would be set up in schools, community centers and other locations in King County. Public Health already has held drills to test those centers.

Between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Saturday, 41 mail carriers will deliver the test boxes to home mailboxes or drop slots in an area that includes ZIP codes 98115 and 98125. The test area is roughly framed by Northeast 145th Street to the north, Northeast 60th Street to the south, Lake Washington to the east and First Avenue Northeast to the west.

Police will accompany the carriers, but will not approach the residences. In a real event, the police would be there to ensure safe, quick delivery.

The drill is the first of its kind in the nation. It's part of the federal government's Cities Readiness Initiative and will be followed by similar exercises in other cities, said Dr. William Raub, senior science adviser to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. Seattle was selected because of previous "quality work" in preparing for an attack, he said.

In an actual attack, medications would be delivered within 12 hours from a national stockpile of emergency medical supplies, stored strategically around the country. For the Saturday exercise, a truck will simulate that delivery.

Raub said federal health officials plan to encourage storage of medications by corporations, universities and other organizations that have health workers and ways to distribute the drugs.

In addition, Raub said, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now conducting a study of how well 5,000 St. Louis households store and keep track of medication that could be used after an attack.

Warren King: 206-464-2247 or wking@seattletimes.com