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So, we\u2019ve all seen the memes that end with the blank stare on the person\u2019s face because they just can\u2019t process what they\u2019ve seen or heard? You can almost hear the crickets \u2026<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve seen that look for years when I explained my work in emergency management. It is a profession people struggle to understand. I get it. Folks like me tell you things you don\u2019t want to hear and ask you to spend time and money you don\u2019t have on something you may not believe will ever happen.<\/p>\n
Emergency Management is just those two words. We take emergencies \u2013 the chaos, colliding information and competing priorities \u2013 and put management practices to them. Often, it\u2019s like wrestling a giant, wet noodle. Just when you think it\u2019s all handled; some part slips out of your hands. But we keep working on the emergency until the job is done.<\/p>\n
For most emergencies, we can see the problem, fix the problem and get life back to normal. Then comes \u201cthe Rona.\u201d This pandemic has tested Emergency Management in ways none of us expected and highlighted why we are needed. Here\u2019s a short list of what we\u2019ve done:<\/p>\n
Find a building for contact tracing staff? Check.<\/p>\n
Deliver cloth face coverings for our most vulnerable communities? Done.<\/p>\n
Establish a temporary care center so residents can isolate or quarantine safely? Sure.<\/p>\n
Create an online map of meal sites for students and families? Sure thing.<\/p>\n
Set up large tents outside the Elections Office so voters can get help with their ballots? We can do that.<\/p>\n
Pull together school districts to develop re-opening plans? Okay.<\/p>\n
Rent a 68,000 square-foot warehouse for PPE and manage orders and distribution? Yep. On it.<\/p>\n
Speaking of PPE \u2013 most of the PPE used in Pierce County has come through the Emergency Operations Center. A team of dedicated staff are constantly working with the state and hunting down sources. As those materials come in, we package them up to fill orders from the community. Medical offices, schools, fire departments and many other organizations have benefitted from this work.<\/p>\n
A new effort for Emergency Management is the Mobile Testing Stations. These 30-foot trailers are set up around the community for a day at a time \u2013 kind of like food trucks. We provide free COVID tests to everyone who walks or drives up. We won\u2019t turn anyone away, and we especially want people in at-risk communities to get tested. The more people who are tested the more we can learn about where cases are occurring and getting help to those communities. You can find the station schedule here.<\/a><\/p>\n And, you can learn more about the mobile testing in this video.<\/p>\n