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#PRNSBest Takes Initiative to Train for Emergency Operations
PRNS STAFF LEARN THEIR EXTENDED ROLES IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY
Whether a natural disaster, nationwide pandemic, or any major disruption, San José’s Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS) is responsible for continuing to provide services related to mass care and shelter to the residents of San José.
As a result, all #PRNSBest staff have vital roles in ensuring the safety and well-being of the community.
Last month, PRNS staff attended training on Commodity Point of Distribution (C-POD) operations, where they were assigned and trained for positions that will properly ensure future emergency procedures run smoothly.
In the aftermath of disaster, key infrastructures such as grocery stores, medical clinics, and utilities may shut down.
When that situation escalates and people are required to shelter in place for more than 72 hours, the City may activate C-PODs.
“We have an obligation to make sure people are taken care of,” said PRNS program manager Kendra Yarn, who developed the training session. “When we’re called to do this service, it’s the entire department’s job.”
Kendra Yarn going over key points of C-POD operations.
For example, staff members could repurpose their city-owned vehicles to transport supplies rather than having to spend on obtaining vehicles from different sources.
“If I need five trucks, I look at whatever vehicles we have that aren’t being used,” Yarn explained. “If we don’t have any, only then I’ll put in a request for more.”
Yarn emphasized that PRNS must use all resources it can before having to outsource, which saves time and money for more wider scale needs such as food and water.
Another way to stay ready is to have resources “ready on hand,” stored away for upcoming catastrophe.
“Currently, we do not have a storage for food so I can’t even set up a C-POD to get food delivered,” Yarn explained. “What we can do now is come up with agreements and identify companies we could potentially order from.”
Having resources readily available is essential in C-POD operations, which mitigates the risk of delays, mismanagement, and confusion.
The more efficient C-PODs can be staged, the faster and more effective we can take care of residents.
Lastly, Yarn explained one of the final steps in C-POD operations that could last for years – recovery.
“We are good at responding – I have no doubt in my mind that even without this training, this crew will motivate their staff and get them out there,” Yarn said. “But after everything that we do, everything needs to be documented.”
An example of our staff’s quick response to emergencies converting a recreation center to a shelter in place.
Every documented detail from debris removal, the weight of transportation loads, headcount of personnel, and logged hours can help the City paint a better picture of what happened, how much it cost, and can help leaders budget and develop for future emergencies.
No matter how small the task, every #PRNSBest staff has a responsibility to respond to catastrophic events, and completing Disaster Service Worker training such as Yarn’s C-POD sessions will help ensure smooth, safe, and well-coordinated operations for any disaster.
To learn more about C-PODs, visit the Bay Area Urban Areas Security Initiative’s site for the latest accessible toolkit.
If you would like to learn more about PRNS, please visit sanjoseca.gov/prns. The ActivateSJ Strategic Plan is the City of San José's Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS) plan to maintain, improve and expand our facilities, programs, and services. The plan guides how we care for and develop a diverse park system and an abundance of recreation programs and services for all in San José.
ActivateSJ’s mission is to connect people through parks, recreation, and neighborhood services for an active San José. To learn more about our department’s plan and vision to move forward, visit activatesj.org.