Postal Model for Medical Countermeasures Delivery and Distribution

avoiding a public health catastrophe. The objective is to initiate direct residential delivery of antibiotics as soon as possible after detection of the attack and to complete delivery within 12 hours. This envisioned quick strike could do much to meet the immediate wide-area need for life-saving drugs. In so doing, it also could help to reduce the likelihood of panic and civil disorder while local authorities put into operation their plans for dealing with post-attack needs for disease prevention and emergency health care services during the ensuing weeks or months.The primary bioterrorism threat consideration underlying this FOA is the agent that causes anthrax, Bacillus anthracis. That is because of its ready availability, the ease with which it can be weaponized and dispersed, the high mortality rate of untreated anthrax (>90%), and the ability of common antibiotics to prevent anthrax in at-risk individuals if administered before the appearance of symptoms and sustained for up to 60 days.The planning framework for creating direct residential delivery capability in metropolitan areas is the National Postal Model for the Delivery of Medical Countermeasures. Applicants should download the National Postal Model under the “Full Announcement” link in Grants.gov. This announcement lays out a two-phase process whereby applicants can seek financial and technical assistance to develop and test venue-specific Postal Plans based on the National Postal Model.Phase I involves completion of three milestones that are also deliverables for the program: A) Development of a preliminary venue-specific Strategic Security Plan, B) Comprehensive development of a functionally broader venue-specific Postal Plan, C) The conduct of a table-top exercise (TTX) of that Postal Plan culminating in revision of it to incorporate lessons learned.Please note that the Strategic Security Plan does not represent a comprehensive Postal Plan; it is the first step towards such a plan. In accord with the adoption process cited in the aforementioned National Postal Model, the work necessary to prepare an application should provide the applicant the greater part of the content for a valid Strategic Security Plan. The second milestone represents not only the completion of tactical level planning, and signed confirmation of its acceptance by all the collaborating parties, but also the completion of the preparatory steps necessary to create a screened and equipped Postal volunteer corps and Postal Plan command capability. The third milestone ensures that the comprehensive Postal Plan is put through its paces during a TTX; the After Action Report for that TTX, inclusive of a corrective action plan, and the subsequent submittal of a modified venue-specific Postal Plan based on those lessons learned, will signify completion of the third milestone.If applicants have already completed deliverable A (venue-specific Strategic Security Plan), they must submit that plan as part of their application, and their budget must reflect funding requests for the remaining Phase I deliverables that have not yet been completed. Phase II involves the preparations for and conduct of an in-field operational exercise (referred to as a Full Scale Exercise or FSX) of the revised venue-specific Postal Plan throughout a substantial portion of the pertinent metropolitan area (e.g., an area corresponding to 5 Postal Zip Codes) culminating in a comprehensive FSX After Action Report and further refinement of that Postal Plan based on lessons learned.To fulfill in part the responsiveness criteria for applications for Phase II funding as described below, applicants either must have met the three objectives for Phase I prior to the receipt date of the application under this FOA or must have received and completed successfully a Phase I award under this FOA.Applicants for Phase I funding are encouraged to respond to this FOA by providing information on each of the following topics:• Existing municipal plan for emergency mass distribution of medical countermeasures through Points of Dispensing and/or other means• Objectives for the venue-specific Postal Plan• The lead agency for the venue-specific Postal Plan• Local Law Enforcement participation in the venue-specific Postal Plan• Local Emergency Management participation in the venue-specific Postal Plan• Other participants in the venue-specific Postal Plan• If deliverable A has been completed, submission of a venue-specific Strategic Security PlanDetailed instruction regarding what should be included in the application regarding each of these topics is presented below under “Project Narrative for Phase I Applications”.Applicants for Phase II funding are encouraged to respond to this FOA by providing information on each of the following topics:• Venue-specific Postal Plan• Geographic scope of the FSX• Lead local agency for the coordination of the FSX• Primary Local Law Enforcement Agency for the FSX (coordination across participating Law Enforcement agencies)• Other agencies participating in the FSX• Command and Control of the FSX• Envisioned injects for the FSX- i.e., deliberate introduction into the exercise of simulated events designed to complicate or otherwise interfere with the execution of the Postal Plan, thereby potentially increasing the rigor and informational value of the exercise• Performance data to be collected during the FSX• Public information program associated with the FSX• Relationship of the FSX to other emergency preparedness exercises involving agencies of the municipalityDetailed instruction regarding what should be included in the application regarding each of these topics is presented below under “Project Narrative for Phase II” Applications.