Success Stories

ORAU Develops Mapping Application for CDC’s CHEMPACK Program

ORAU experts, through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, designed and developed a mapping application to assist the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s CHEMPACK program with keeping track of nerve antidote cache sites and containers. 

CHEMPACK, a program managed by the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response's Division of Strategic National Stockpile program, maintains a nerve agent antidote cache (or hidden supply) for state and local government partners. The cache increases the government’s capability to respond quickly to a nerve agent event, such as a terrorist attack.

Until May 2011, the CDC managed cache tracking information on spread sheets and proprietary inventory management systems. With the help of ORAU multimedia and Web designers, a mapping application known as the CHEMPACK Cache Locator Application (CLA), was built to assist CHEMPACK and their state and local partners in tracking the antidote cache sites and containers. 

“The ORISE group has been a valuable resource, providing timely solutions and cost saving ideas which greatly contributed to meeting our timeline for release of the CHEMPACK Cache Locator Application,” said Michael Adams, CHEMPACK Fielding Section Lead/Emergency Management Specialist for the CDC.

There are two key components to CLA: the map and the administration application. The CLA map allows authorized users to view a project area’s cache site information via Google™ Maps through a password-protected portal (or a collaborative project management site). The cache site locations are designated by markers that, when selected, give detailed site information, such as the address, points of contact, container types and quantities.

The CLA administration application allows CHEMPACK staff to update container information and also provides key reports, including regional summaries, container history and others. All the data stored in the CLA administration application feeds into the CLA map.

“CHEMPACK has received raved reviews regarding this new capability. The ORISE group performance was exceptional,  and we look forward to working with them on future projects,” Adams said.

ORISE is managed by Oak Ridge Associated Universities for the U.S. Department of Energy.