The IAFC has announced the release of the Fire Chief’s Guide to Smallpox Vaccination. The document was prepared under the guidance of the IAFC’s Smallpox Vaccination Working Group which includes representatives from the IAFC EMS Section, Terrorism and Hazmat Committees.

The guide, which contains the most up-to-date information currently available on the subject from federal and public health sources, was developed in response to Bush’s decision to embark on an unprecedented vaccination program against the threat of a terrorist attack using the smallpox virus.

An immediate copy of the guide is available in PDF form at only at this time, which can be downloaded at www.iafc.org/downloads/smallpoxguide.pdf. Hard copies of the guide are being prepared and will be mailed to all IAFC members by the end of January.

The primary purpose of the document is to provide local fire chiefs with a basic understanding of the upcoming smallpox vaccination program and its impact on fire departments. It's meant to help local fire departments open discussions with the state and local public health officials that will be implementing the program, evaluate the likely operational and administrative impact of a vaccination program and heighten each fire department’s understanding of the benefits and risks from the vaccine.

It's not intended to be a substitute for the detailed policy or medical guidance developed by the federal government and the state and local health departments charged with actual implementation of the program. This guide is only intended to serve as an educational tool for the local fire chief.

The guide is broken down into two sections. The first section, titled Smallpox Vaccination Overview, provides detailed information on smallpox and the smallpox vaccine. It also explains how the vaccination program will be implemented. The second section, titled Issues for the Fire Chief, discusses how this vaccination program will impact a local fire department. It discusses legal, financial and operational issues with the goal of identifying areas where local decision makers need to make important decisions and providing them with the knowledge to make those decisions in a thoughtful manner.

The IAFC has been actively involved in advising the federal government on this issue since May 2002 and continues to consult regularly with federal authorities. It's expected that policies and procedures associated with this program will change over time. Already significant medical and labor groups have indicated serious reservations about the implementation of this vaccination program. These reservations may lead to a delayed timetable for implementation or a dramatic revision of existing policies. As these changes emerge, the IAFC will make sure its members are quickly informed of them and their ramifications.

For more information, visit www.ichiefs.org.