Ground Zero Emergency

PROJECT PURPOSE

In keeping with ARPA's goals to increase the resiliency of the United States through economic recovery and investments to improve public health, Ground Zero Emergency proposes an investment of $50M to build a national center for search and rescue training. This national training center will build upon the success of Ground Zero Emergency, drive economic growth in central Oklahoma, further Oklahoma's reputation as a national model for disaster recovery, and provide essential training for first responders and canines to save lives. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic highlights the importance of fast and reliable testing for accurate identification of symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers to reduce spread of infection effectively. With a sense of smell thought to be 1,000 to 10,000 times better than humans, highly trained canines have the sensory ability to improve medical detection and improve public health. Dogs trained to detect the COVID-19 virus in sweat could walk through lines of people and quickly smell infections without interruption. This could dramatically improve the opportunity for community events and local businesses to fuel local and regional economies while maintaining community health. Studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2 cannot be transmitted to people or canines through sweat.

EVIDENCE

Ground Zero is engaged in research collaborations with Oklahoma State University and Dr. Patrick McCann of the University of Oklahoma. With OSU, Groud Zero is exploring ways to improve the use of canines to detect COVID-19. Groundbreaking research found that canines can detect COVID-19. Ground Zero is collaborating with Dr. Patrick McCann to explore the use of canines in ovarian cancer detection. Future work intends to explore whether or not trained dogs can detect cancer at its earliest stages. Early cancer detection is one of the most pressing and exciting objectives in cancer research.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

As noted in the language of the ARPA legislation, although the pandemic?s impacts have been widespread, both the public health and economic impacts of the pandemic have fallen most severely on communities and populations disadvantaged before it began. Low-income communities, people of color and Tribal communities have faced higher rates of infection, hospitalization and death as well as higher rates of unemployment and lack of basic necessities like food and housing. Pre-existing social vulnerabilities magnified the pandemic in these communities, where a reduced ability to work from home, and frequently, denser housing amplified the risk of infection. Higher rates of pre-existing health conditions also may have contributed to more severe COVID-19 health outcomes. GZE provides valuable resources to assist first responders in all communities across Oklahoma. Ground Zero has a long history of collaborations with Oklahoma?s rural, economically disadvantaged populations. GZE has strong partnerships with Oklahoma?s Tribal communities. We are excited about the prospect for this national training center and Ground Zero research into canine COVID-19 detection to assist these communities by providing low-cost, high-volume COVID-19 detection and screening.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

Rigorous evaluation will take place throughout the life of our project and this grant. Formative quarterly evaluations will be performed to allow for realignment of the program as needed. Evaluation will be a regular focus for leadership meetings. There will be an emphasis on disciplined program performance and methodologies to measure day-to-day operations. Our project?s rigorous evaluation regime will allow for the provision of data, as required, and the ability to answer programmatic questions as well as to assist in the formal and overarching evaluation practices which measure program fidelity and outcome attainment.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma