About the Indiana CHEMPACK Program
- What is CHEMPACK and what does it mean for the State of Indiana?
CHEMPACK is a national program funded by the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and is an extension of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) program. CHEMPACK is a first responder asset that provides antidotes for individuals exposed to intentional nerve agent attacks and large-scale organophosphate (pesticide) poisonings.
The purpose of CHEMPACK is to implement a nationwide program for the “forward” placement of nerve agent antidotes and to provide state and local governments with a sustainable resource that increases their capability to respond quickly to a nerve agent event.
- What's inside the CHEMPACK containers?
CHEMPACK comes in two types of containers: hospital and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) containers. A hospital container is designed for hospital dispensing, and the medication comes in multi-dose vials. The EMS container is designed for use by first responders, and medications come in auto-injectors. The hospital containers have enough nerve agent antidote kits to treat 1,000 victims. The EMS containers have enough to treat 450 victims.
- How are CHEMPACK containers stored?
CHEMPACK containers are strategically located in secure locations in Indiana. CHEMPACK containers are maintained in climate-controlled
conditions in order to maximize the shelf life of the medications. The CHEMPACK containers are monitored 24/7 by ASPR. In Indiana, there are a total of 32 CHEMPACK cache sites.
- How will CHEMPACK containers be deployed?
The Incident Commander (IC) remotely at a scene or EMS Officer will conduct an initial assessment for the potential need for a CHEMPACK
based on the initial scene evaluation. The IC or EMS Officer will request CHEMPACK deployment through coordination with the cache host site, local hospital, and emergency management agency (EMA).
- Does the State of Indiana have a CHEMPACK Plan?
Yes, the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) Division of Emergency Preparedness (DEP) maintains the Indiana CHEMPACK Program—
Nerve Agent Medical Countermeasure (MCM) plan.
Indiana CHEMPACK Program Plan
The CHEMPACK program managed by the ASPR Division of Strategic National Stockpile (DSNS), prepositions nerve agent antidotes at hospital and EMS locations across the state. The program encompasses the local management of federal assets to support a nerve agent release incident ranging from organophosphate farming exposure to acts of terrorism. The cache's formulary comprises enough Diazepam, 2-PAM Chloride, and Atropine per container to treat approximately 454 or 1,000 people, depending on container type.
Key Updates:
- Product drop shipment and rotation procedures
- Permanent cache container moving procedures
- Temporary cache container moving procedures
- Roles and responsibilities of cache sites
- Monitoring system replacement and LTE-M cellular modernization
- Deployment and notification procedures, including IDOH contacts
Local Jurisdictional Nerve Agent Incident Guidance
This guidance document outlines planning considerations to guide local jurisdictions in the development of locally funded, procured, and managed nerve agent and organophosphate exposure incident medical countermeasures. This guidance is meant to supplement the existing federal CHEMPACK program resources
CHEMPACK Purpose Meeting - May 25, 2023
On May Indiana CHEMPACK cache hosts and HCCs to provide information on the current landscape of the CHEMPACK program in Indiana.
Information provided included CHEMPACK History & Purpose, Local Use and Notification Procedures, Indiana MOA & SLA Paperwork, STMS Modernization (POTS to LTE), Contact Information & SharePoint, and HCC Funding & HPP BP5 Chemical Surge Focus.
Additional Resources
- HHS Chemical Hazards Emergency Medical Management (CHEMM) CHEMPACK Site
- HHS/ASPR CHEMPACK Site
- HHS/ASPR SNS Site
- CHEMPACK Cache Locations
Cache site CHEMPACK managers and end-users: Click the icon below to access the CHEMPACK SharePoint Site (managed by HHS/ASPR)
