CDC Strategic National Stockpile Program

The Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) is a program administered through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, Division of Strategic National Stockpile. It is designed to stockpile large quantities of medicine and medical supplies to protect the American public if there is ever a catastrophic health emergency. These stockpiles of material are stored across the nation in confidential locations. For a state to receive these supplies, they must have a written plan in place and have run out of supplies needed to assist the community. For more information, visit the CDC SNS Website.

State Strategic National Stockpile Program

Arkansas’s SNS Program relies on the coordination and collaboration of many partners. At the state level, planning is focused on receiving and distributing the federal SNS assets to community-based points of dispensing (PODS), participating pharmacies, and treatment centers during emergencies. This task is accomplished utilizing partnerships with sister state agencies, private sector partners, and volunteer organizations. These partners help support our mission by providing security, transportation, warehouse needs, and overall planning. 

At the community level, planning is focused on receiving the SNS assets from the state SNS program, dispensing medications, administering vaccines, or providing other supplies to the citizens of the State of Arkansas during an emergency. Treatment centers plan to receive medications and trauma supplies from the state SNS program once their normal supply chains are no longer viable.

A major part of SNS planning is mass dispensing and mass vaccination. This enormous task is taken on by local communities and coordinated by the local county health units. Their partners include municipalities, private sector partners, and volunteer organizations. Every county in Arkansas has a community-based plan to utilize SNS assets through pre-identified points of dispensing/vaccination.

CHEMPACK Program

An additional role of SNS in Arkansas is the management and coordination of the CHEMPACK Program. The purpose of the CHEMPACK Program is to pre-position antidotes to expedite the treatment of individuals exposed to nerve agents. Containers of chemical antidotes placed across the state will allow for rapid deployment of chemical antidotes to hospitals and first responders should an industrial accident or terrorist actions occur in Arkansas or in a bordering state. The placement of the containers takes into account the population and geographical factors challenging the rapid delivery of the antidotes for treatment. The antidotes are provided by the CDC.

CHEMPACK containers may be opened at the discretion of the emergency department physicians at the host hospital, and/or assets may be requested by emergency medical services (EMS) or other non-host hospitals where there is a need for the asset.

Cities Readiness Initiative

Arkansas has 7 Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) designated Cities Readiness Imitative (CRI) counties. This program is designed to increase the state’s capacity to deliver medicines and medical supplies to the public within 48 hours during a large-scale public health emergency such as an earthquake or bioterrorism event. The Arkansas Cities Readiness Initiative includes six central Arkansas counties and one east Arkansas county.

Central Arkansas

• Faulkner
• Grant
• Lonoke
• Perry
• Pulaski
• Saline

Contact ADH Central Region CRI Coordinators for more information at (501) 280-4950.

Eastern Arkansas

• Crittenden (Eastern Arkansas)

Contact the ADH Northeast Region CRI Coordinator for more information at (870) 251-2848.

For more information about CRI, visit the CDC CRI Website.