The office for distributing Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program equipment at 1316 Wilmer Ave. will be closed for an undetermined length of time, beginning Monday.

The Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency’s contract with Sentec Corp. for distribution of the equipment expires today. EMA director Dan Long said he will receive bids on May 11, and a new contract will be awarded at the May 25 Calhoun County Commission meeting.

The closing of the office worries one local registered nurse.

“It’s a little disheartening,” Peggy Long said. “The only reason I’m concerned is we get poor little old people down there, and if there’s nobody available, are we going to run them all over the county?”

Dan Long said service will not be interrupted, and people who need the equipment can get it directly from the EMA office at 435-0540.

“We’ll make arrangements to get stuff to them,” he said. “There’s no change.”

He said the new contract will reflect the decreased demand for CSEPP equipment. He has not decided whether to reopen the Wilmer Avenue office or relocate.

“When this thing kicked off, thousands of people were coming in, and now it’s five to 10 people a day,” he said.

Peggy Long agrees the EMA can not pay to hand out equipment 24 hours a day, but she said she wants people to be aware of the change.

“They definitely don’t need to be left in a void,” she said.