Introduction to SNS Operations

The Introduction to Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) Operations Course is a five-day course designed to give state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) officials an introduction to SNS medical countermeasures, medical materiel, and response operations during a public health incident. The course will present planning considerations and capabilities related to requesting, receiving, distributing, dispensing, and administering SNS medical countermeasures (MCM) and medical materiel through classroom presentations, group discussions, and hands-on activities.  

Upon completion of this training program participants will be able to:

1.  Describe the SNS mission, the SNS formulary, and the process for requesting SNS assets.

2.  Give examples of medical materiel management and distribution methods and SNS operational requirements through hands-on activities with replicated SNS assets.

3.  List planning considerations and strategies for SNS crisis communications, operational security, and jurisdictional coordination of medical material management and distribution.

4.  Describe planning considerations for timely dispensing and administration of SNS MCM and technical assistance available for development of jurisdiction-specific dispensing and administration activities.

5.  Summarize the planning considerations, capabilities, and strategies for requesting, receiving, distributing, dispensing, and administering SNS assets across a range of public health threats.

Personnel attending this course should be SLTT officials involved with SNS planning and coordination. SLTT assigned to the following positions would best benefit from this course: senior health officials, bioterrorism coordinators; SNS coordinators; emergency management personnel; public safety officials and security coordinators; transportation officials; regional emergency response planners; Cities Readiness Initiative Coordinators; warehouse managers; MCM distribution planners; public information officers; pharmacists; MCM mass dispensing and vaccine administration activity planners; and personnel who augment or support SLTT distribution, dispensing and vaccine administration activities.