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You are here: Home / Articles / Coastside Disaster Preparedness / POD Training for Emergency Response in a Disaster

POD Training for Emergency Response in a Disaster

March 25, 2018 by Michelle

POD Training for Emergency Response

PODs are actually 96 gallon garbage cans. In this case, they were filled with basic safety rescue gear and first aid.

Dan Bennett of the San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services did a POD training at the Moss Beach Substation March 21st, 2018. Local San Mateo County Sheriff Office search and rescue and CERT volunteers attended.

It was part of a larger coastside emergency exercise. Pescadero set up a Red Cross Shelter. The HMB Airport ran communication exercises. It was rainy, windy and cold so the POD team did not do the full exercise. Next time we will get PODS off the boats at the boat ramp, to the harbor parking lot for distribution.  PODs can be delivered by truck (usually), boat or plane.

Points of Distribution, or PODS, are centralized locations where the public picks up life sustaining commodities and important documentation following a disaster or emergency.

Common Distribution Methods

MOBILE DELIVERY is a method that utilizes vehicles to drive into an affected area and provide commodities at different drop locations, where the need is identified. This type of distribution is common is rural areas and where roads are damaged.

DIRECT DELIVERY coordinates with a specific location, such as a shelter, feeding site, or hospital for the delivery of specific items and quantities. These commodities could be food, water, comfort kits, etc. Direct deliveries are usually larger in size and more specific in commodity type than what is delivered through mobile delivery.

POINTS OF DISTRIBUTION are centralized points where supplies are delivered and the public travels to the site to pick up the commodities.

Roles and Responsibilities for the EOC (Emergency Operations Center)

The EOC determines the location and type of POD to be implemented.  This is determined by:

Organizational Structure

  • population density
  • public need
  • resources needed, versus available
  • available space and infrastructure to set up a POD

Logistics for the EOC to consider:

  • workers may not be covered for workers compensation or liability
  • may not have the resources to supply the pod
  • may not have the capability to communicate or access the pod
  • may decide not to utilize pods as a form of public commodity distribution
  • this may cause false expectations or false hopes from surrounding citizens and residents
Operations for the EOC to consider:
  • Selecting pod staff and locations
  • Registering pod workers DSW
  • Providing pod training
  • Supplying pods
  • Demobilizing pods
  • Conducting pod reset

EOC designates:

  • resources for each pod type of distributed commodity
  • amount of distributed  commodity
  • pod material handling equipment
  • activates a pod

Pod Manager Checklist

  • team members arrived at POD site
  • site hazard assessment complete
  • communications established with EOC
  • inspect pod kit
  • determine the location of the supply loading and vehicle lines (consider volunteer pedestrian safety)
  • establish the Portapotty location
  • established the dumpster location
  • establish the break area location
  • set up traffic cones around the vehicle line
  • ensure  supply trucks can enter and exit safely
  • assign staffing positions
  • distribute PPE
  • conduct a safety briefing
  • determine signage locations
  • receive Porta potty‘s new line receive dumpster
  • receive pallet jack
  • receive first aid supply
  • notify EOC that the pod is ready for opening
  • put up signage
  • open pod
  • notify the EOC that the pod is open

What’s in a pod kit?

Carey Smith, Deputy Harbor Master of Princeton Harbor, explains the process of moving PODs from boats at the boat ramp, or from the pier.

  • equipment provided review
  • paperwork needed
  • sign in sheets
  • pod kit inventory sheets
  • pod site set up checklist
  • inventory sheets with quantities of what is being distributed

Pod operations

  • ordering and resupply
  • communications
  • maintenance
  • convergent volunteers
  • media
  • public and public relations
  • pod manager role in overall safety
  • PPE
  • lifting
  • fire extinguishers
  • weather injuries
  • hazard communication
  • workplace violence

 

Contact

Dan Bennett – OES 99

San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office

Emergency Services Bureau

650-363-4012

FEMA Fact Sheet

 

 

 

 

Related

Filed Under: Coastside Disaster Preparedness, Home Top List, Podcasts, The Coastal Butterfly Tagged With: disaster, disaster prep, emergency, emergency response, POD, PODS

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Coastside CERT

We are an emergency preparedness volunteer organization focused on creating a ready and resilient community along the San Francisco Bay Area coast from the southern side of the Tom Lantos Tunnel (Devil’s Slide) to Tunitas Creek Road.

Emergency Prep Resources

The average Coastsider may not be aware of the many emergency preparation resources available to us! Here’s a list of many of those resources.

KHMB LOGO AM-FMKHMB AM 1710 and FM 100.9

KHMB Radio AM 1710 and FM 100.9 is our local Emergency Radio Station. You would still want to tune in to KCBS for Bay Area wide emergency news.  Make sure you have a radio!
Go to: KHMB or KHMBRadio.com to tune in.

CEC logo-jCEC – Coastside Emergency Corp

From Waddell Creek to Devil’s Slide and up to Skyline are 4 Branches of emergency prepared coastside citizens that are forming. They include many emergency disciplines.
Go to: CEC Portal

CERTCERT Teams – Community Emergency Response Team

Trainings are offered a couple of times per year up and down the coast CERT volunteers are forming Neighborhood Watches to help their neighbors get prepared.
Go to: FEMA page on CERT

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CEAP

Charise McHugh of the Half Moon bay Chamber of Commerce has worked for several years to organize businesses on the coastside in an emergency via the Coastside Emergency Action Plan). If you are a business and have not already participated, please contact the Chamber. In an emergency we need to know where our resources are and how to deploy materiel, and how to get refunded by FEMA.
Go to: HMB Chamber Page on CEAP

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SMC Alert

It is a free alert system that will come to your cell phone, your tablet or computer, or all three. There is no charge, although your carrier may charge for texts. This is the best way to stay on top of traffic accidents.
Go to: SMCAlert.info to sign up

mrcMRC – Medical Reserve Corps

Doctors and nurses work together to become the backbone of an emergency medical situation. Coastside Emergency Experts will tell you that the Coastside will be on its own in a major earthquake disaster for 5-7 days. And we no longer have a Medical Reserve Corps on the Coastside! Contact mdragony@coastsidebuzz.com if you are interested in creating a new chapter.

hamHAM Radio

ARES—Amateur Radio Emergency Service—of Half Moon Bay
Go to: their website

red crossRed Cross

We have several Red Cross trailers on the Coast. Take a Red Cross class so you can help in one the shelters during a disaster.
Go to: Sign up for a class or Contact Local Red Cross volunteer Jim Holley

nextdoorNextDoor

Have you signed up with Next Door? Next Door is a great social media tool that will help you stay up to date with what is going on in your neighborhood and other neighborhoods on the Coast.
Go to: NextDoor.com to sign up.


michelleMichelle Dragony, founder of CoastsideBUZZ.com, is also a civilian CERT trainer working with Dave Cosgrave, Cal Fire Battalion Chief of Half Moon Bay, and Ari Delay, Cal Fire Battalion Chief of La Honda. Email here at mdragony@coastsidebuzz.com if you have any questions.

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