DEM 2016 Annual Report | Page 29

UASI 2016 Strategic Initiative of Bay Area Significance : C-POD Planning , Training , and Exercises Community Points of Distribution ( C-PODs ) are temporary locations where the public can go to get basic necessities . Local government is responsible for setting up and supporting C-POD operations , and local law enforcement is responsible for C-POD security . From site identification to resource estimation , to security needs to staffing patterns , planning for C-PODs is complex . Recognizing an opportunity to deconstruct this complexity , the UASI team spearheaded a year-long effort resulting in 14 Bay Area local government jurisdictions identifying C-POD sites and developing standardized plans to operate them . Training sessions were developed , numerous workshops were conducted , and a basic C-POD equipment kit was procured for each jurisdiction . These collective efforts were evaluated during the Yellow Command regional exercise , which also tested the state Emergency Manager Mutual Aid ( EMMA ) plan with Los Angeles City and County staff .

I ’ m a grants finance and accounting professional for the Department of Emergency Management Urban Area Security Initiative and I help to disperse millions of dollars throughout the Bay Area for regional preparedness and resilience projects .
— Yoshimi Saito

28