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Audit: DHS pandemic supplies expired
The Hill ^ | October 24, 2014 | Sarah Ferris

Posted on 10/25/2014 8:41:19 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

A new audit has found major gaps in the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) preparations for viral pandemics like Ebola: many of the supplies purchased by the government are expired.

Officials have spent millions to stockpile medical supplies since 2006 without knowing exactly what to buy or how they would be used, DHS Inspector General John Roth said Friday. The agency also failed to track the supplies it did purchase.

“We could not determine the basis for DHS’s decisions,” Roth told a panel of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee as he presented the 43-page report.

DHS, which is one of the agencies leading the response to Ebola, has “no assurance” that it has enough protective gear or antiviral medications or that its supplies remain effective, Roth said.

The department purchased 4,184 bottles of hand sanitizers that have expired, Roth found.

DHS spent $6.7 million for antiviral drugs, with no plan to decide what types of drugs it should purchase. It also has no way to know that the drugs were maintained at the proper temperature, which could have destroyed the drugs’ effectiveness.

The department has lost track of 2,055 doses of antiviral medication, the report said.

In light of the report, Roth told the panel, the department is beginning to reshape its strategy.

“Certainly now, the department is starting to do the kinds of planning that we recommended,” Roth said during the hearing.

The IG's testimony raises questions about the government’s ability to handle the ongoing epidemic of Ebola in West Africa that has infected nearly 10,000 people. Four cases have been diagnosed in the United States, including one diagnosed late Thursday night in New York City.

"How can I tell the American people that we're prepared?" Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) said of the IG's findings. "Almost all the equipment you cited in this report, in fact, is either out of date or the purchase made no sense."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: dhs; fail; preparedness; preppers
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To: Balding_Eagle
Didn't Hillary Clinton support the trial lawyers chasing vaccine makers out of the country?

Instead of say, adding on a bit for an insurance pool to compensate people that were harmed by the vaccine?

Or maybe it Algor helping out the trial lawyers for donations?

21 posted on 10/25/2014 9:35:53 PM PDT by Calvin Locke
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Sounds like in the Soviet Union during the Cold War

...and all the Czars and Polit-Bureau had access to all of the very best of medicines, consumer goods and the various perks of office....just like our Congress Critters today.

22 posted on 10/25/2014 9:36:28 PM PDT by spokeshave (He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people,)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Quick, send the agency another 10 billion


23 posted on 10/25/2014 9:37:33 PM PDT by eyedigress (e(!zOld storm chaser from the west)/?s)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Ammunition remains stable for years if stored properly.


24 posted on 10/25/2014 9:47:10 PM PDT by SpaceBar
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To: ClearCase_guy

OR hand the job over to Walmart...


25 posted on 10/25/2014 9:48:34 PM PDT by GOPJ (Obama would rather we die than offend West Africa. - freeper goldstategop (same for the CDC))
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To: Jet Jaguar; NorwegianViking; ExTexasRedhead; HollyB; FromLori; EricTheRed_VocalMinority; ...

The list, Ping

Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list

http://www.nachumlist.com/


26 posted on 10/25/2014 10:20:12 PM PDT by Nachum (Obamacare: It's. The. Flaw.)
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To: spokeshave
...and all the Czars and Polit-Bureau had access to all of the very best of medicines, consumer goods and the various perks of office....just like our Congress Critters today.

Or at least they trusted their own lackeys, and believed it was the very best. Certainly better than what the serfs would be allowed. After watching various failures of equipment, protocols, and people in all areas of government, I wouldn't trust them to be the "elite" they're being paid to be.

At least Ottawa had effective police officers who were trusted with loaded weapons, and the skill to engage an armed enemy without having to phone some "trusted" presidential adviser to allow them to engage the enemy with lethal force.

However, I'm glad that White House guard dogs have more freedom to engage an intruder than the humans have. Maybe they should be augmented by poop-flinging monkeys. :)

27 posted on 10/26/2014 12:44:46 AM PDT by 300winmag (Whatever CAN go wrong has already happened. We just don't know about it yet.)
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To: 2ndreconmarine; Fitzcarraldo; Covenantor; Mother Abigail; EBH; Dog Gone; ...
Ping...

A link to this thread has been posted on the Ebola Surveillance Thread

28 posted on 10/26/2014 2:02:10 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
During a lull in demand for my 'regular job', I was on a construction crew that remodeled a building which contained a "90 person Fallout Shelter" in the basement. As the remodel was going to render the building unsuitable for that purpose, we took a look at the remaining supplies.

The medical supplies were in a shambles, with stacks of 4X4 gauze (once sterile) in wrappers that had crumbled and cracked, Phenobarbital raided from the med kit (gone, anyway), alcohol evaporated from 'sealed' containers, food supplies (what was left, anyway) seriously deteriorated, and only the sanitation kits intact with numerous rolls of single ply toilet paper complete with wood shavings in the paper and sanitary napkins packed in wrappers which contained a dozen at a time (also crumbling). This was in the '80s, and the stuff was useless.

Consider that, and make your own kit for any disaster.

What the government obtained was through low bid or a sweetheart deal bid on spec, and chances are it isn't there any more anyway, if it ever was.

Do not depend on it being there for your life--and that includes what the agencies have been buying up lately.

The same mentality applies: If it is really needed, chances are there will be no opportunity to bring any consequences to bear on the suppliers nor those who stand watch over the supplies.

29 posted on 10/26/2014 2:38:32 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Politically Correct Downers pockets have been filled.


30 posted on 10/26/2014 2:58:19 AM PDT by fella ("As it was before Noah so shall it be again,")
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To: Sen Jack S. Fogbound

http://www.dhs.gov/
I started wondering about its purpose a few days ago when DHS along with FBI and local police raided a store that was selling synthetic marijuana (spice). I went to the DHS website (above) but could learn nothing except they do whatever they want.


31 posted on 10/26/2014 4:13:27 AM PDT by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The department purchased 4,184 bottles of hand sanitizers that have expired, Roth found.

??? it would seem that most sanitizers, having alcohol as the active ingredient, they wouldn't 'expire" unless they were compromised and dried up.

I admit I don't know what other ingredients might be part of the process, but this seems extreme.

32 posted on 10/26/2014 5:01:14 AM PDT by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Any job you give to a libtard isn’t about the job. As in the issue is not the issue. It is all about the power and authority. Who cares if the job gets done!


33 posted on 10/26/2014 5:18:07 AM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks; neverdem; ProtectOurFreedom; Mother Abigail; EBH; vetvetdoug; Smokin' Joe; ..
The fresh supplies go to the elites...

Bring Out Your Dead

Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.

The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.

So far the false positive rate is 100%.

At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.

*sigh* Such is life, and death...

34 posted on 10/26/2014 6:51:07 AM PDT by null and void (And I think Kevin Bacon is doomed.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
More government incompetence on display.

Don't worry. The Ebola Czar will get this little mistake covered up soon.

35 posted on 10/26/2014 7:24:57 AM PDT by Gritty (Obama wants to wage war by measuring it out in teaspoons - Ralph Peters)
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To: Smokin' Joe

This job needs to be turned over to Walmart.

Homeland Security can eat tax dollars and be incompetent... that’s who they are - but Americans shouldn’t have to die for that bull... Turn the real work over to Walmart..


36 posted on 10/26/2014 7:49:38 AM PDT by GOPJ (Obama would rather we die than offend West Africa. - freeper goldstategop (same for the CDC))
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To: Smokin' Joe

Thanks for the ping!


37 posted on 10/26/2014 8:53:45 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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