Heat Tests Volunteers In St. Charles County Bioterrorism Drill

health officials handed out "medicine" for anthrax--along with chicken sandwiches--in a regional bioterrorism drill in St. Peters Thursday. 

Working with 25 other agencies, St. Charles County Department of Health and Environment set up a medical dispensing site near Mid Rivers Mall to test its ability to respond to a terrorism incident involving a biological agent like anthrax.

Community members lined up in cars to pick up the "medication" — actually empty medicine bottles — and a free sandwich from Chick-Fil-A. 

With temperatures reaching triple digits during the drill, officials also had to contend with the heat. Paramedics were on hand to respond to actual medical emergencies. At least one participant felt the effects of the heat and had to be taken to an air-conditioned cooling tent. Several staff members had to take breaks as well. 

Before the event began, Amy Yaeger, public information officer with Madison County Health Department, was working social media sites to try to get people to participate in the drill. 

Yaeger said the public information officers at various health departments in the region know that in a real emergency, many people would turn to social media to find out where they could get the medication. 

Larry Guessfeld handed out chicken sandwiches from Chick-Fil-A. He's a teen CERT member and has trained for emergency scenarios.

“Just now, seeing it come to life, it brings back to life those 9-11 feelings, he said. “These things actually do happen and it’s good to be prepared.”

A bus filled with 33 teenagers from St. Louis Job Corps proved to be an unexpected challenge.

Doug Bolnick, spokesman, saw the bus in a line of cars that snaked around the road, and said that they hadn't anticipated a big vehicle coming through. 

When the bus got around to pick up medication, at least one person was feeling the effects of the heat and had to be escorted to a cooling station.

The rest of the teens on the bus were excited to pick up chicken sandwiches.

Bob and Nancy Miller, of Weldon Spring, happened to be first people in line. The pair heard about the event on the news and thought they’d participate before going to the mall. 

“It’s a good deed,” Nancy Miller said.

“It’s a great idea, at least some people will be trained,” Bob Miller added. “Not the workers -- but us.”