The exercise, dubbed Vigilant Guard, is intended to give local and state agencies some practice setting up what they call Points of Distribution, or PODs. When disaster strikes, these PODs will be opened to get essential supplies to the public.
“It was something that was kind of set up by the National Guard and (Department of Defense) along with the state. It’s been something they’ve been working on the past couple of years, but there’s been a push for the training this year,” said County Emergency Management Specialist Laura Ginn.
This exercise is already planned and is just meant to get the participating agencies familiar with the procedures of setting up a POD. According to a press release from the county, Vigilant Guard is a weeklong event during which agencies will simulate a Category 3-4 strength hurricane with a direct hit in Coastal Georgia. Public health issues will also be simulated during the recovery portion.
“We’re making sure the coordination works,” Ginn said.
Any situation in which essential services, like water, sewer and power, are lost and can’t be returned in a timely manner can be cause for opening a POD.
The public is encouraged to come out to the park to help the agencies practice the distribution. Anyone who shows up between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. will be given MREs, bottled water, hand sanitizer and information about the Zika virus.
During the real deal, an actual disaster, the DOD and National Guard would bring in the supplies and work with local organizations to distribute them, Ginn said.
“They’ll bring in manpower to help do it. They’ll bring in freight trailers, supplies, tarps whatever they need to hand out at the moment. We’re the local interface,” Ginn said. “It’s a great opportunity to do a full scale exercise and make sure everyone is as ready as they can be.”
The county’s Emergency Management Agency, along with others, would be in charge of designating staging locations, getting the word out to the public and answering questions the DOD can’t answer. Word would be sent out about the staging locations through the county’s radio station, TV station, website and public releases.
A similar response was discussed, but was not required during Hurricane Matthew.
Other possible POD staging areas include Howard Coffin Park, Selden Park, the old Ballard School building, North Glynn Recreation Complex, fire stations in the more rural areas, Glynn County Stadium, the Winn Dixie on St. Simons Island and Mallery Park. Jekyll Island would have one as well.
The EMA plans to have more practice runs in the future as well.
For more information, call the EMA at 554-7734.
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