Auditorium to be emergency health point

BANGOR – The Bangor Auditorium is expected to become one of several regional centers for the dispensing and distribution of pharmaceuticals, vaccines and related medical and human services as part of the state’s response plan for biological, chemical or radiological events and other statewide emergencies.

During a meeting of the City Council’s business and economic development committee, local officials discussed a proposed agreement the state is negotiating with Bangor and other Maine cities. The agreement, which would be subject to approval by the full council, is under review by City Solicitor Norman Heitmann.

The committee later approved moving forward with negotiations.

According to Bass Park Director Mike Dyer, the state initially approached the city about serving as a regional site a year ago. The state wants to use the auditorium’s floor as a staging area for the distribution of stockpiles of medicine in the unlikely event of a public health emergency.

The state has agreed to cover any costs associated with such an operation, he said. The city would be responsible for providing site-specific information, such as floor plans, an inventory of relevant equipment such as tables, chairs and refrigerators, and for canceling all scheduled events and activities during the duration of the emergency.

The city also would host drills and exercises, upon 60 days notice from the state, and provide the Bureau of Health at least 30 days notice of any major alterations, renovations or damage that might affect the auditorium’s performance as a public health distribution site.

Heitmann said the agreement would be subject to annual review, which might not be a bad idea given the city’s plan to replace the auditorium in the near future.

Councilor Gerry Palmer noted that it wouldn’t be the first time the auditorium was pressed into service as a public health center. The auditorium floor, he recalled, became an emergency vaccination clinic during the swine flu virus epidemic of 1976.