ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - Sacramento County departments came together Oct. 27 and 28 at the Barbara Morse Wackford Community and Aquatic Complex for a full-scale mass care and shelter exercise aimed at improving coordination and efficiency in disaster response.

The two-day training focused on preparing to temporarily shelter individuals, families and pets affected by disasters that could impact thousands of residents. Scenarios reflected regional risks such as floods, wildfires and potential terrorist threats.

Fifteen agencies participated in the exercise, including the City of Elk Grove, Elk Grove Police Department, Cosumnes Fire District, the Red Cross, Salvation Army and other volunteer organizations.

The first day featured a workshop that reviewed processes and procedures for assisting displaced or injured residents during emergencies. On the second day, participants took part in an eight-hour simulation supported by the Cosumnes Community Services District, testing their ability to manage a countywide disaster and operate a large-scale shelter.

Sacramento County Public Information Officer Matt Robinson told the Elk Grove Citizen that while other regions in the country experience frequent natural disasters such as tornadoes and hurricanes, areas such as Elk Grove face fewer large-scale events, with the most recent area major disasters being flooding in 2017 and 2023.

“From time to time, skill sets may get a little dull, and we use training like this to make sure that people who don’t normally work with each other get a chance to figure out what each other does in case there’s an emergency,” Robinson said.

 

Fifteen agencies participated in the full-scale mass care and shelter exercise, including the City of Elk Grove, Elk Grove Police Department, Cosumnes Fire District, the Red Cross, Salvation Army and other volunteer organizations. Photo courtesy of Sacramento County

He added that the exercise was especially timely following a recent apartment fire in North Highlands that left dozens of residents without homes and required a coordinated shelter effort.

“Once the fire occurred, we worked with Red Cross to set up shelter for people who didn’t have a place to go,” Robinson said.

American Red Cross volunteer and retired Army officer Laura Yeager said the organization has extensive experience in emergency sheltering and is considered a leading expert in mass care.

Yeager said several Red Cross volunteers participated in the Oct. 27 and 28 training to help facilitate activities such as client intake, feeding operations, dormitory management and logistical support.

She emphasized that one of the biggest takeaways from the exercise was strengthening coordination among departments and agencies that may not typically work together.

“The people in these different groups are all experienced in different aspects of mass care,” Yeager said. “This is an opportunity for them to collaborate with other people within the community and iron out points where there might be some friction or might be some assumptions that need to be sort of fleshed out.”

 

Sacramento County departments came together Oct. 27 and 28 at the Barbara Morse Wackford Community and Aquatic Complex for a full-scale mass care and shelter exercise. Photo by Idaly Valencia 

She added that in these kinds of situations it’s important to consider the diversity of the population where volunteers will have to navigate dealing with different cultures, languages, ages and functional needs.

“The best thing we can do is to become familiar with each other ahead of the emergency so that we’re already collaborating before the emergency happens, and strengthen those relationships,” Yeager said.

Lynn Pesely, volunteer coordinator for the Sacramento County Office of Emergency Services, said volunteers play a key role in supporting emergency operations.

“We engage volunteers to strengthen public health and emergency response,” Pesely said. “So we have medical volunteers such as doctors, nurses, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and we have non-medical volunteers working with us as well.”

Pesely explained that volunteers are trained according to national Medical Reserve Corps guidelines and emergency preparedness standards, helping them to stay ready to assist both in the community and at home during a crisis.

She encouraged the public to sign up for the county’s emergency alert system, known as SacAlert, to stay up to date in the case of a mass disaster situation.

Residents can sign up for SacAlert and learn more about preparedness resources at the Sacramento County Emergency Services website at sacoes.saccounty.gov.

 

American Red Cross volunteers helped to facilitate activities for county department heads and staff to operate a large-scale shelter Oct. 27 and 28. Photo courtesy of Sacramento County