Oswego (WSYR-TV) -- The Oswego County Health and Highway Departments used Girl Scout cookies during their Strategic National Stockpile drill on Wednesday. The drill tests their ability in the event of a national emergency to dispense medical supplies.
"That could be things like vaccines, antibiotics, respirator masks, other medical supplies, so we're using this as a test of their capacity to move medical supplies, but instead of medical supplies we're using Girl Scout cookies,” explained Diane Oldenburg with the Oswego County Health Department.
Judy Knowlton with Girl Scouts of NYPenn Pathways says it was a win-win situation for everyone involved.
“It's a wonderful opportunity for us because we always have a tough time getting volunteers who are willing and able to come help us distribute the cookies on cookie delivery day. This was wonderful. When the Health Department approached us we jumped on it,” Knowlton said.
In all, about 27,000 boxes of cookies will be delivered. Girl Scout troops will be coming to pick them up, much like residents might in a national emergency if they had to get necessary medical supplies.
This is the first time Oswego County has substituted Girl Scout cookies for the drill. The local Girl Scout Council has discussed this with other councils who are anxious to see how it works so they may do the same thing in their areas.
