First Ever POD Event a Success
Several days have passed since "Hurricane Yancy" struck the coast of New England, making landfall as a category three storm just south of Newport, R.I. Several days prior to its expected arrival, The Federal emergency Management Agency (FEMA) places truckloads of emergency supplies…water, Meals ready to Eat (MREs) and ice…just north of the state. People are in need of food and water. Now, it's time to establish a "Point Of Distribution" (POD) site to provide the residents of the affected area with necessary life-sustaining supplies. -- POD Exercise Scenario
The Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency, in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), hosted a two-day Point of Distribution (POD) event this August in Woonsocket, R.I. The event tested emergency management procedures and operations, internal and external coordination of the emergency plan and coordination with external response agencies.
The event took place at Woonsocket High School August 8-9, where officials simulated an emergency response to a catastrophic, category three hurricane, dubbed "Yancy," making landfall just south of Newport, R.I.. The prototype training seminar, the first of its kind in the nation, brought first responders and volunteers together to prepare for a major disaster. The event instructed emergency personnel, essential first responders, and volunteers in the setup and operation of a POD site to deliver emergency supplies immediately following a catastrophic event. A POD site houses truckloads of emergency supplies, meals ready to eat, water and ice in strategic locations throughout the state during a crisis.
Attending this ground-breaking event were individuals from 27 of the state's 35 communities as well as representatives from the states of Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
On Wednesday, August 8, the attendees received a series of instructional modules explaining the principles and operational elements of a POD. The modules addressed and explained the entire sequence of steps, from the arrival of the FEMA supply trucks to the breakdown of the POD site after the emergency period has passed,. The role of each governmental level of assistance, from the national level, to the state level, and finally the role and responsibilities of the local responders, and how each level works together was also emphasized during the instructional period..
On Thursday, August 9 it was time to put the instructional information to the test. Participants tested a type two POD site - designed to address the needs of a community of 10,000 people. Following a review of the steps involved at each operational station, it was time for action. The trucks rolled in and established the supply line area. Utilizing fork lifts, supplies from the trucks were unloaded and transferred to the loading line in pre-determined increments so that several cars and trucks could be loaded simultaneously.
From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., volunteers and emergency personnel carried out the necessary setup and operation of a working POD site. Scenarios that replicated the possible events that may take place in a real-life operation were built into the training. For example, frantic mothers begged for additional supplies to feed their children, impulsive people jumped out of their vehicles trying to secure more supplies than allotted per recipient and a belligerent man confronted loading line personnel in a threatening manner. The personnel carried on and successfully completed the exercise. .
At the conclusion of the event, participants gathered for a review of the two-day exercise. The feedback was recorded and later distributed to participants. Attendees will take this valuable experience back to their communities to help prepare should a catastrophic event strike New England.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 13-Nov-2007 14:45:34 EST