NORTH HAMPTON -What would residents of North Hampton and other Seacoast towns do if there was a pandemic of smallpox or another deadly disease? This question has led local officials to join towns that are part of the Portsmouth Area Emergency Planning Team.

According to Mary Cook, public health coordinator for the city of Portsmouth, the PAEPT is one of 19 similar units across New Hampshire formed using funds provided by the Centers for Disease Control and distributed through the Division of Public Health Services at the state level.