The Department of Health will be conducting the largest surprise emergency drill in New York City history on Friday to test the delivery of medications in the event of a biological attack.
More than 1,500 health department employees from more than a dozen agencies will be setting up 30 locations to be temporarily used to administer life-saving medication in the event of a biological outbreak.
The drill will be carried out across the city from 10am and 11am.
Health officials will ultimately be looking to test the quickness and overall ability of staff members as they respond to an attack at a moment’s notice.
An intentional release of a dangerous biological agent such as anthrax or smallpox into a massively crowded city like New York could go undetected for hours, days, or even weeks until symptoms are shown, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The drill comes in the wake of a severe outbreak of the incurable Ebola virus in west Africa that has claimed the lives of over 700 people, the World Health organization reports.