CHENANGO COUNTY – In an effort to test emergency response and preparedness, the Chenango County Department of Public Health, Chenango Memorial Hospital and the Emergency Management Office will participate in a state wide exercise on Wednesday that will simulate an influenza pandemic.

More than 60 hospitals, 28 county health departments and several emergency management departments across New York will take part in the exercise, which will be led by the State Health Department.

The program, called NYFLEx for New York Full Scale Logistics Exercise, will simulate an outbreak of a highly contagious influenza virus, H5N1, In the exercise scenario, the virus will spread from China to New York. The State Department of Health hopes the exercise will test their ability to effectively implement their Pandemic Influenza Emergency Response Plan.

“The exercise will focus on the state’s ability to mobilize and distribute resources including antiviral medications, respirators, masks and ventilators to the hardest hit counties and hospitals,” a press release on the State Department of Health web site said.

On the local level, Chenango Public Health official Ellen Cohen explained, the exercise will “test our internal plan to see how we do.” The exercise will evaluate the distribution of medicine and resources during a pandemic. Cohen said most of the communication will take place through phone calls and e-mails.