Fall River Health and Human Service Director Michael Coughlin offered his first public education session on the topic "A Healthy City is a Prepared City" at the Fall River First Baptist Church on May 21, 2006. Mr. Coughlin was invited to speak by the Church's "Safe Church" Committee. During his remarks, Mr. Coughlin explained that at some point in the future, it is expected that the United States and the rest of the world will experience a major influenza outbreak possibly associated with the avian flu. Previous pandemics occurred in 1918, 1957 and 1968 involving millions of people world-wide. The 1918 pandemic, which originated in Danvers, MA, was the most severe in the 20th Century killing hundreds of thousands throughout the U.S. In Fall River, emergency hospital beds were set up to handle the overflow of patients from Union, Truesdale and St. Anne's Hospital, including a clinic established in the building on Pine Street then part of First Baptist Church. Mr. Coughlin described the City's current plan for dealing with a similar outbreak and made specific recommendations for what people should do to prepare as outlined by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Any group wishing to have Mr. Coughlin make a similar presentation can contact him at 508-324-2401 or by e-mail at Mcoughlin@fallriverma.org.
 

(Top row) Mr. Coughlin addresses members of the congregation and guests after a brief introduction by Rev. Donald Mier. (Middle row) Members pose questions to Mr. Coughlin about sensible steps to take to prepare for the event of a pandemic flu or any similar emergency. Mr. Coughlin emphasized the importance of establishing a family disaster plan similar to the plans that area businesses are making to deal with the possibility of widespread illness that could last for weeks or months. (Bottom row, center) The Church's former Herrick House building on Pine Street, constructed in 1918 behind First Baptist Church, was put into service as an overflow hospital during the influenza outbreak that swept the state and nation.