Topic Swine Flu conference: Unwillingness to follow government orders

Hat Tip to Lew Rockwell's Karen De Coster for this heads up. An International Swine Flu Conference is scheduled for August 19-20 in Washington, DC.

From the ISFC Brochure:

Top leaders and key decision-makers of major companies representing a broad range of industries will meet with distinguished scientists, public health officials, law enforcers, first responders, and other experts to discuss pandemic prevention, preparedness, response and recovery at the 1st International Swine Flu Summit.

At the summit, attendees will be able to draw on first-hand best practices to create the solid business continuity plans that their companies and organizations need in order to prepare for, respond to, and survive a pandemic. The summit draws on the success of the seven previous Bird Flu summits which featured as speakers several distinguished personalities such as Dr. David Nabarro, the United Nations Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza, Alex Thiermann of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and Dr. Wenqing Zhang of the WHO Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response. Well-known emergency responders, heads of hospitals from around the world, and hog/swine industry leaders will speak in this summit.

The conference consists of 15 "Concurrent Breakout Sessions". Of interest are sessions number 2 and 6.

Concurrent Breakout Session #2
Psychological Issues
Public’s distress of exposure and safety
Breakdown of public services, utilities
Medical supplies shortage
Unwillingness to follow government orders

Concurrent Breakout Session #6
Law Enforcement Agencies
Protect police forces from falling ill & from being hurt in civil disturbances
Protect the delivery of vaccines & essential goods & services.
Manage a surge in crime & meet routine requests at the same time
Control & diffuse social unrest & public disorder
Isolate prisons & other facilities

Recommended reading:
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A Cruel Wind: Pandemic Flu in America 1918-1920 (Paperback)

Sales of Pandemic Body Bags Skyrocket

Demand for pandemic body bags have been streaming in to a small Toronto based company known as Trevor Owen Ltd, from as far away as the Sultanate of Oman on the Arabian Peninsula, according to thestar.com. "There are state and provincial governments that are starting to stockpile pandemic body bags ... It's a bad pun, but (the business) is growing," said Trevor Owen president Pierre Barcik.

Trevor Owen is not the only supplier who's seen a dramatic increase in sales. Richard Miller's ToDieFor.Biz, has seen his business double this year. Miller offers a large online catalog of Body Bags.

But Barcik's pandemic body bag differs from the bags typically used to transport and temporarily store the dead. As thestar's Dave Feschuk points out, "Morgues and hospitals mostly use bags made of light-duty plastic – glorified garbage bags with a zipper down the middle – the pandemic body bag's material is thicker and stronger, comparable to a light tarp. It is coated on both sides with polyurethane for imperviousness and can be outfitted with six carry handles, an option that allows for the possibility of inexperienced personnel hastily hauling bodies at a time of crisis."