The League of Women voters in Collier County believes preparing for a flu pandemic is more than just a health issue.

The group met Monday with county officials as well as a hospital official, the Red Cross, and emergency management. The topic was the impact of a flu pandemic on southwest Florida and the nation as a whole. The league’s Ann Campbell, says the point of the meeting was to determine how to help homeland security when dealing with a pandemic.

“It could be a hurricane…it could be terrorism, but the flu pandemic is something that brings every county agency into play. So we thought that would be a good way to demonstrate the county’s ability to prepare for homeland security.”

Campbell says the county health department is already working to get the word out about issues with a pandemic. She adds, one of the biggest lessons learned at the meeting was the widespread effect a pandemic would have on the community as well as the economy.