For the first report , investigators collected information last summer about pandemic planning in Portland and Lewiston , Maine ; St. Louis and Rolla , Mo . ; Sioux Falls and Mitchell , S.D. ; Virginia Beach and Blacksburg ; and Seattle and Longview , Wash . -- Although all 10 communities had developed committees to help plan for a pandemic and health-care coalitions to coordinate care , " the degree to which coordination occurred varied " among them . -- Fewer than half of the communities had started to recruit volunteer medical workers to help with a surge of patients , and none of the states had implemented an electronic system to manage such volunteers . -- All 10 communities had acquired additional medical equipment to respond to a pandemic , but " many experienced difficulties with managing this equipment , " and only three states had electronic systems to track beds and equipment . -- Nine of the 10 communities had not identified guidelines for adjusting their triage , admissions and care to handle a rush of patients in a crisis .