The International Association of Fire Chiefs 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, and Terrorism and Hazmat Committees.

The guide was developed in response to President George W. Bush's decision to embark on a vaccination program against the threat of a terrorist attack using the smallpox virus.

An copy of the guide is available in PDF form at www.iafc.org/downloads/smallpoxguide.pdf. Hard copies of the guide will be mailed to all IAFC members as well.

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 who 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.

The guide is 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.

The guide is broken down into two sections. The first section provides detailed information on smallpox and the smallpox vaccine. The second section discusses legal, financial and operational issues with the goal of identifying areas where local leaders need to make important decisions.

For more details visit www.ichiefs.org.